OF CROPS USUALLY CULTIVATED. 307 



Mr Scott has steeped the seed in brewers' draff or re- 

 fuse, in wet sand, and in a wet bag, which several modes 

 all answered the same purpose. When the seed is too late 

 of being sown, many think steeping necessary ; but he does 

 not approve of steeping in early sowing, as the sudden tran- 

 sition from a warm, to a cold situation, checks the growth 

 of the young plants. When the season is warm, the seed 

 sown springs of itself, if the soil has moisture in it ; if it has 

 not, the seed had much better lie dry, till rain come, for 

 half-sprung seed, sown in mould, without moisture, will dry 

 up, and never again revive. 



After the above-mentioned ruts are made, girls employ- 

 ed in the farm-work, got a proper portion of seed in their 

 aprons, and turning their backs to the wind, they sow it of 

 the proper thickness, walking gently down the furrows a 

 certain number of steps to a handful, and causing their fin- 

 gers and thumb to move so that the seed might drop equal- 

 ly along in the rut. 



This mode of management has answered equally well in. 

 Strathearn, as in Roxburghshire. At Lawers, the crop in. 

 1810, was 33 tons and 70 stones Dutch, produced from less 

 than a Scotch acre-and-a-half of ground, of as fine, large, 

 and clean carrots as could be wished for, which were used 

 for horses, milch-cows, young calves, swine, poultry, &c. 

 Several persons near Lawers, tried to raise that root, but 

 did not succeed, owing entirely to improper management, 

 and no fault of either soil or climate. 



The tops make excellent green food for cattle, and could 

 be made into hay, if at that time a season could be had to 

 dry them.* 



Mr Scott has tried the seed which was got the summer 



The tops might be mixed with dry straw, and thus preserved. 



