Turnips after Lea. 223 



a little over 29 tons. The last crop of the rotation has now (1907) 

 been reaped, viz., barley, which is by far the best crop of that 

 grain on the farm. The field is now sown down with selected 

 seeds of the best quality to lie in grass four, or more years. 

 Now, ♦ facts are chiels that winna ding,' and it goes without saying 

 that the excellent resiilts obtained from the said field would also 

 hold good on other fields and other farms. 



"I have often received enquiries as to the difficulty of taking 

 turnips after old lea, and I admit that there are difficulties on 

 certain soils, and under certain conditions, but I am convinced from 

 my own experience that on moderately deep soils, heavy or light, 

 there is, on the contrary, an immense saving of labour. My 

 method is to plough early in November, if possible, using a 

 wheeled plough fitted with the long Scotch type of mould and 

 skim coulter. With such a plough a few inches of the grass rim 

 is neatly turned into the bottom of the furrow forming a cushion 

 which keeps the land dry, and open to the frost, at the same time 

 thoroughly rotting what would otherwise be half-growing turf if 

 ploughed in the ordinary way. The preparation of such land in 

 the spring for the turnip crop is of the simplest and easiest 

 possible, nothing more being required than a double run with the 

 harrows or a run through with the cultivator, taking care not to 

 disturb the buried turf, which by the month of May will be in a 

 perfectly decomposed or rotted condition to feed the growing 

 plants. The single operation of drilling up lightly with a ridging 

 plough completes the operation, leaving the very finest seed bed 

 possible, so necessary for a good braird of turnips. I have grown 

 turnips year after year in that way and on all kinds of soil, and 

 have never experienced the slightest difficulty, and invariably the 

 crop has equalled if not surpassed the stubble break heavily 

 dunged and manured and costing double the amount for labour. 

 Now, sir, in a country such as this, where the breeding and feeding 

 of sheep is so successfully carried on, and which is by far the best 

 paying live stock on the farm, and likely to continue so for years 

 to come, I think many farmers who raise and feed sheep vnll 

 agree with me, that a good crop of turnips produced from the lea 

 break on the above or any other method, is of immensely more 

 value than a crop of oats, taking one year with another. I am 

 sure you have proved conclusively by the object lesson of Clifton- 



