954 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK x. 



ridges being favourable for freeing the soil immediately round the 

 plants from superabundant moisture. When roots are drilled on the 

 ridge the early operations are similar to those practised on the flat, 

 except that, instead of putting on the dung in winter, it is not applied 

 till just previously to laying up the lands in the final ridges. The tilth 

 , having been sufficiently prepared, the land is laid up in ridges, and the 

 dung is spread in the spaces between them, and then the bouting 

 plough is run up the middle of the already formed ridges and splits 

 them back so that the dung is covered in. While covering in the dung 

 fresh ridges are formed above it, and it is on the tops of these that the 

 seed is sown. The seed may be drilled in with superphosphate or not 

 as desired. About 2 or 3 Ib. of seed, and from 2 to 6 cwt. of super- 

 phosphate, generally constitute a suitable seeding and phosphatic 

 manuring. While the plant is coming up it is liable to attacks of 

 the Turnip-fly, which harass it until the rough leaves appear, after 

 which it is safe. An immense amount of damage is done by the fly, 

 the crop occasionally being destroyed as often as three times, thereby 

 necessitating fresh tilling and seeding, with a consequent heavy outla}'. 

 Various methods have been devised to baffle these attacks, but few of 

 them have been found effectual, though a crop is sometimes saved by 

 dusting the young plant with lime or soot when the dew is on them. 



When the plants have attained a width of three or four inches they 

 require thinning, though they should already have been horse-hoed, 

 and if the land is very wet, or' the season has been cold, so that the 

 early growth has been slow, they should also have been flat-hoed by 

 hand alongside the rows. Horse-hoeing should be continued as long 

 as the horses can walk between the rows without injuring the plants. 

 The plants require seconding or singling a few weeks after the first 

 thinning, as it is undesirable to have more than one plant standing in one 

 place. The distance the rows are set apart is from 16 in. to 2 ft. 6 in. 

 when on the flat, and from 27 in. upwards on the ridge. The plants 

 should be set out in the rows at spaces varying from 11 to 15 in., 

 according to the width of the rows. When the plants have passed the 

 stage in which they are injured by the fly, they are liable to attacks of 

 the Turnip saw-fly, the caterpillar of which feeds apon the leaves. 

 Slugs, wireworms, leather jackets (the grubs of daddy longlegs, or 

 craneflies), and many other pests are also very destructive during 

 the growth of the crop. 



Swedes are likewise liable to mildew. This appears in droughty 

 seasons following periods when growth has been unusually rapid. Very 

 early sown swedes are most liable to this attack, therefore, in some 

 localities, especially on " burning " soils, such as the gravel-loams, it 

 is not found expedient to sow the seed before the second week in June. 

 In some districts where there is less chance of drought, or of burning 

 during a drought, the seeding commences in the early part of May, and 

 the best advice to those who go as strangers to farm in a new district 

 is not to be guided by past experience, but to follow the custom of the 

 locality. When there is danger of mildew a dressing of nitrate of soda 



