216 AGRICULTURE 



most of the weeds are dragged to the surface 

 and destroyed. In this way an excellent 

 seed-bed is prepared for the broadcast sowing 

 of crimson clover or stubble turnips, the 

 former furnishing valuable folding food in 

 the following spring, while the turnips can be 

 utilized at any time during winter. Or the 

 wheat stubble may be ploughed with a 

 shallow furrow and sowed with white 

 mustard, which in six weeks will be ready 

 for folding, and is largely used in the south 

 of England for " flushing " the ewe flock 

 during the month of October. In the mildest 

 districts rape may be sowed instead of 

 mustard ; and when the weather becomes 

 genial, about the beginning of March, the 

 plants shoot out rapidly, to furnish a large 

 yield of useful sheep " keep." Whatever 

 the crop selected to follow wheat, it must 

 be cleared from the land not later than the 

 middle of June, and in many cases the 

 ground is cleared considerably earlier. When 

 the catch crop has been utilized the land is 

 at once ploughed and suitably dressed with 

 artificial manure, perhaps even with farm- 

 yard manure ; and mangolds, swedes, or 

 yellow turnips are sowed. Mangolds are 

 sowed in the south at much the same time 

 of the year as in the north, namely early in 



