418 THE MANGOLD-WUKZEL CROP. 



We may therefore fairly assume that good farmyard 

 manure may always be beneficially applied to the mangold 

 crop, and that it is desirable to apply it to the land some 

 time, at all events, before the crop is sown. Our ordinary 

 practice is to manure heavily for our root crops, and to use 

 them as a preparation for the succeeding grain crop. We 

 may still adhere to this, and at the same time derive the 

 advantages which continental experience has pointed to 

 us in regard to the time of manuring, if we take the pre- 

 caution of applying the farmyard manure in a thoroughly 

 decomposed state (spit dung) at the time of ploughing 

 the winter furrow. If this practice has been followed, 

 the labour arrangements for preparing the land for sow- 

 ing in the spring are greatly lessened; all that is now 

 required is to run the " grubber " or " cultivator " across 

 the furrow slices, so that they may be thoroughly broken 

 up and the soil well stirred, which can be done without 

 disturbing the weathered and finely divided surface so 

 desirable and so suitable for the reception of the seed. If 

 the common practice of applying the manure in the spring 

 is followed, the difficulties and expense of preparation are 

 greatly increased, and the crop cannot be placed under the 

 same favourable conditions. The fine- weathered tilth of the 

 surface is disturbed by the carting on and distribution of 

 the manure, and is then buried with it by the cross plough- 

 ing, which is rendered necessary for the purpose of cover- 

 ing in the manure, and also for the formation of a new 

 seed-bed for the crop, which, on the strong class of soils 

 suitable for mangolds, and at the early period at which 

 they are sown, is not very readily obtained. 



In all cases where the land is intended for a root crop, 

 it is desirable to avoid, if possible, ploughing the land a 

 second time in the preparations for sowing. It is generally 

 an unnecessary expenditure of time and labour; the benefit 

 of the first ploughing is materially negatived by the second, 



