220 TURWIPS. 



In discourse with Mr.. Johnson, nt Kempsfon, I found 

 that he considered cultivation and turnips as synonimous : 

 no farming without turnips: — fVhat, yl^r. Johnson, on 

 very wet, stiffs tenacious, poacJilng soi/s P — " How are you 

 to keep stock without them ?" And, in Norfolk, they 

 may be said to know nothing of the Northumberland cul- 

 ture, the only system that can make the crop advisable on 

 such land. 



The universality of this culture in Norfolk, v/hatever 

 the soil, is singular; but the most extraordinary feature is, 

 to see so many on the Marshland, clay the ridges almost 

 flat ; tjiey are carted, or rather poached off, for cows and 

 sheep. 



The stronger, heavier soils of the southern parts of East 

 Norfolk, will not bring turnips freely without marie, 

 which a6ts by rendering the soil more friable. This is an 

 observation of an ingenious v*riter ; but, at present, marled 

 or not marled, all is under turnips. 



The universal system in Noriolk, whatever may be the 

 soil, of sowing turnips, and cultivating them on flat, or 

 nearly flat lands, must, without hesitation, be condemn- 

 ed : hollow-draining can never be praised too mucli ; but 

 there are districts, the soil of which is so tenacious, that 

 no drains can make the husbandry admissible. Mr. 

 Forby's experiments on cabbages, very carefully made, 

 and accurately reported, bear immediately on this point, 

 were they necessary to establish it , but, in truth, few ex- 

 periments aie wanting to prove the point : for the many 

 bad or Inferior crops of barley 1 saw in 1802, a very great 

 barley year, on such soils, would alone convince me that 

 the turnip culture, in such cases, is mischievous. The 

 difference between six or seven coombs of barley, and 

 eleven or twelve, would buy lintseed cake for the con- 

 sumption of straw; or pay the loss of fattening hogs for 



the 



