BEAN AND TURNIP SOWING. 



53 



BEAN-DK1LL. 



earth as close to the roots of the plants as possible. 

 Some, however, omit this final ridging, as making the 

 ground too uneven for the convenient harvesting of the 

 crop. 



BEANS CULTIVATED ON RIDGES. 



Turnip-sowing has also to be noticed, and that rather 

 more particularly, on account of the great importance 

 of the crop. The cultivation of turnips as a field crop 

 only became general in England at the close of the last 

 century ; yet how great and important are the changes 

 in our agriculture, produced by its means ! In former 

 days it was difficult to manage light soils to advantage : 

 corn crops soon exhausted them, and as no regular suc- 

 cession of green crops was then known, they were un- 

 avoidably thrown for a number of years into pasture, 



