MODE OF HARVESTING. 307 



themselves the sheep stock to be fed through the winter 

 on the land the head of cattle to be kept at the home- 

 stead and the manure arrangements for the succeeding 

 crops. It is clearly an unnecessary expenditure of labour 

 to cart and store at the homestead more roots than will 

 be required for the stock kept there, as the resulting 

 manure has all to be carted back to the farm again ; and 

 it is clearly more economical, other circumstances being 

 equal, to draw the store-supply from the fields nearest to 

 the homestead, and to feed off those at the greatest dis- 

 tance, than to have to cart the roots from the most distant 

 fields to the homestead, and to have to cart back in the 

 spring an equivalent portion of manure. 



When these points are settled, and the necessary 

 labour arrangements made, the work should be com- 

 menced directly the weather is favourable, and proceeded 

 with as rapidly as possible, in order to avoid the 

 delay and chances of injury from frosts or rain, so 

 common at this season of the year. The modes of 

 effecting this operation vary greatly in different parts of 

 the country. Some are directed throughout with great 

 judgment and skill, while others again disregard all the 

 principles of mechanics in the disposition of the labour, 

 and of chemistry in the mode of storing the crop. In 

 lifting and preparing turnips for carting, two different 

 operations are required that of removing the turnip from 

 its bed, and that of "topping and tailing" it. If these are 

 performed by the same individual, time is lost in constantly 

 changing from one position to another ; besides which, the 

 two operations require a different quality of work the 

 "'pulling" requiring a considerable amount of strength, 

 the " topping and tailing" requiring less strength than 

 careful work, so as not to injure the root. It therefore is 

 advisable to separate them, to employ stout active men to 

 go through the field, drawing the turnips, giving them a 



