856 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part III. 



quence raised on land so wet as otherwise to be incapable of yielding a return of any 

 value. We shall give their culture from an excellent paper in the Quarterly Journal of 

 Agriculture, vol. i., from which also this paragraph is quoted. 



5388. Preparation of the land. The land intendetl for the turnip crop is ploughed in autumn, after 

 the preceding crop of grain has been reaped. If the soil be not of a very dry nature, the land is formed 

 into ridges of fifteen feet or more, and care is taken that no water shall stagnate on the ground. In this 

 condition the land remains during the winter ; and it is ploughed again in spring as soon as the ground is 

 sufficiently dry for that purpose, and as soon as the other labour of the farm will allow : this second 

 ploughing is generally made in a direction to cross the previous one. The land is then repeatedly grubbed 

 and harrowed in various directions, for the purpose of pulverising it, and of dragging to the surface, and 

 disengaging all weeds and roots ; to assist in which process the aid of the roller is frequently requisite; 

 the loots and weeds disengaged are ihen gathered with care, and either burnt in little heaps on the ground, 

 or removed away to a larger heap, to be mixed with quick-lime and other substances, to form a compost for 

 the succeeding year ; at the same time such stones as impede the tillage may be removed : after this the 

 land is again ploughed, and generally, as before, in a direction crossing the last furrows ; and the same 

 process of harrowing, rolling, and collecting the disengaged weeds, is repeated. The earth is once more 

 ploughed, and again the same operations are resorted to ; after which the land is usually in a fit state to 

 be formed into ridges or drills. Should this not be so, the operations of ploughing, harrowing, and gather- 

 ing of weeds must be repeated, and that until the land is cleared of all injurious roots, and reduced to a 

 loose or friable state. The perfect preparation of the ground in this stage of its culture, is of very great 

 import-ince to the future crop. 



5389. Forming the ridges. After the preparation described, the land is fomned into little ridges or 

 ridgelets, either by the common plough, or by a plough with two mould-boards, formed for that purpose. 

 The first of these is to be preferred when the method of performing the work is once pointed out in the 

 fields. The ridges are formed with a sharp top, as a transverse section {Jig. 751.) will show. The distance 



751 



of these ridgelets may be from twenty-seven to thirty inches, measuring from top to top. This interval is 

 necessary to allow of the horse-hoe tilling the intervals, in the manner to be afterwards described, and to 

 admit a sufficient circulation of air between the rows of the plants. 



5390. Manner of applying tlie manure. The chief manure applied to this crop is farmyard dung, or 

 that which is produced by the consumption of the straw and other produce of the farm. This manure 

 ought to be well rotted, and to that end either turned over in the court-yard some weeks previously to its 

 being used, or carried out in winter to the fields intended for the turnips, and there laid in one or more large 

 heaps. If the carts are not suffered to go upon these heaps, the putrefactive process will proceed with 

 greater quickness. When the ridgelets are formed in the manner described, the dung is filled into carts 

 drawn by one horse, and transported quickly to the land. The manner of applying it is this : The horse 

 with the loaded cart walks in the interval of the ridges, so that a wheel of the'cart shall go in each of the 

 752 hollows of the two ridges adjoining. The person who 



^.^__ directs the horse follows the cart, which is ojien behind, 



^. , 1 J .I . .11 * and with a crooked twopronged fork or dung-hack, 



tf // {fig. 752.) drags out the dung, as the horse moves along, 



(J into little heaps in the hollow of every third ridge, at the 



distance from each other of from eight to ten feet Be- 

 hind follow three young persons, with each a two-pronged or three-pronged fork {fig. 753.), each walking 



in the interval of a ridge, and spreading out tjie dung 

 in as regular a manner as possible ; as a cross section of 

 the ridgelets with the dung deposited in the intervals 

 would show {fig. 754.) 



5391. Covering the dung. The dung is no sooner 

 spread in this manner than it is covered by the plough. 

 To this end is employed either the common plough, or 

 that with the double mould-board already mentioned : 

 these passing down the middle of each ridgelet split it 

 into two, so that a new ridgelet is formed, whose top is 

 immediately above the former hollow of the old ridgelet, 

 {fig. 755.) The dung is now completely covered, and a 

 new ridge for the reception of the seed is at once formed. The double mould-board plough performs this 



754 



operation at once, the common plough by going and returning up the middle of each ridge. 



755 



5392. Broad-cast dunging. Instead of depositing the manure in the manner described, it is sometimes 

 laid upon the stubble after harvest, and then ploughed in. This is only practicable where there is a supply 

 of manure remaining from the preceding year, or where it can be elsewhere procured ; and is only ad- 

 visable when the land is so clean as to require little preparation in the succeeding spring. As liberal an 

 expenditure as can be afforded of manure is always expedient in the case of this crop, the goodness of 

 which will much depend upon the fertility we are able to communicate to the soil. Ten or twelve tons 

 per acre may be considered the regular manuring on a turnip-farm, where a proper rotation of crops is 

 followed. 



5393. Lime, sea-weed, ashes. Sometimes lime is applied to the turnip crop, together with dung. This 

 may be done by laying the lime upon the stubble after harvest, or better still, by spreading it upon the 

 ground, and harrowing it well immediately, before the forming of the ridgelets for the reception of the 

 dung. Putrescent manures, however, are considered superior to the calcareous for the production of 

 this plant ; and all of the former kind may be used with effect. Street dung is an exceedingly good 

 manure ; sea-weed will also be useful : this last, however, is not applied in the manner of the farmyard 

 dung, but is carried off as it is cast on shore, laid on the surface, and suffered to remain so till the land is 



