98 CONTINUOUS CROPPING 



THE DISC AND THE CULTIVATOR 



Where these two implements are available, two or 

 three cuts, first with the cultivator, then with the disc 

 harrow, in opposite directions, along with a final 

 refining with a spring-tooth harrow is all that is needed. 

 It is true these implements are dear ; nevertheless they 

 are easily procurable by smallholders if co-operative 

 methods are put into practice. 



Having got the land thoroughly fine, drills should 

 be opened about 28 inches wide, and manure carted 

 into them. Then the artificials should be spread on 

 top of the farmyard manure and the drills split so as 

 to cover in the fertilisers. 



If this stage can be reached, that is the mangolds ready 

 for sowing, about the third week in April, then the crop 

 can be grown from seed, and sown in the usual manner 

 on the drills. In practice, though, it is more likely to 

 get into the first or second week of May before the 

 mangold break is ready for planting. Anticipating 

 this, it is better to put in mangold plants rather than 

 sow seed for the crop. 



A USEFUL METHOD OF TRANSPLANTING MANGOLDS 



The plants should be grown in a frame, the seed 

 being put down about the ist of March. Then about 

 a month later, or as soon as the young plants have 

 become fairly strong, they should be hardened off by 

 removing the top frame, only covering them up in the 

 early stages of the hardening-off process at night-time. 



The mangolds are dibbled in in exactly the same way 

 as the cabbage, but the greatest care should be taken 

 with them to see that the tap-root is straightened out 

 when planting, for otherwise the plant will fail. The 

 root should also be dipped in liquid manure. 



As soon as the plants are in, unless the land is too 

 )vet, the drills should be rolled with an ordinary iroij 



