264 



Cultivation of a Cold-Clay Farm. 



when he takes a shim, which is a sharp piece of iron about 3J feet long 

 and 3 feet wide, with a sharp edge, attached to a pair of wheels like 

 Kentish plough wheels, and cuts under every ridge and manure, ridge 

 after ridge, throughout the field ; this operation destroys annual weeds 

 as well as ploughing. The earth in a pulverised state, and manure 

 which has had time to work, are mixed together, and the seed which 

 is drilled upon it grows with astonishing rapidity, and for two years 

 has produced such a crop of turnips as I never saw upon such a de- 

 scription of soil. Sometimes they are drawn off, at others fed upon the 

 land, when good weather permits. 



Brinkley Rectory, Newmarket, 

 Feb. 1841. 



VII. — 1 . Experiments on Manures and on the Growth of Turnips. 

 By W. Miles, M.P. 



Dear Pusey, 



I REGRET much that, having last year proposed the experiment of tur- 

 nips which was adopted by the Council, I should have failed in com- 

 plying with the conditions: but Poittevin's manure was unfortunately 

 detained on the road until it was too late ; and a mistake was also 

 made in the measurement of the land. So that neither have the three 

 manures been used, nor the proper quantities of even the two distri- 

 buted according to the regulations. 



As, however, I have myself, as much as my different avocations 

 permitted, inspected the growth of the turnips, and taken peculiar in- 

 terest in the trial, I will give you my details and observations ; pre- 

 mising that (Poittevin failing), in its place, I made use of a composi- 

 tion of one-third glue-dross (^i.e. the remains of the pot after the glue 

 has been extracted, consisting of pelt, horns, hoofs, and small bones), 

 mixed with one-third fine ashes, and one-third road-scrapings ; which I 

 applied at the rate of 20 tons per acre ; barring my man's miscalcula- 

 tion, which is as fair for one as the other. This, with dung at 20 tons 

 per acre, and bones at 20 bushels per acre, form my experiment for the 

 year. 



I never recollect so fine a season for roots : every description seemed 

 to flourish ; and very few of the plants which appeared above ground 

 in any way failed previously to storing. 



The seed from Messrs. Gibbs, Halfmoon Street, was put in on the 

 28th of May, at the rate of 4 lbs. per acre. On the 8th of June the 

 swedes were coming up well. On the 2Tth I find this note relative to 

 the appearance of the experiment: — Dung 1, bones 2, glue-dross 3 ; 

 the glue-dross too hot for the turnips, and a failure of plant — turnips 

 showed well, and were singled out at 9 inches." On Friday, the 10th 

 of July, experiment was progressing in precise ratio as before stated. 

 I transplanted some turnips into the vacancies occurring in that part 

 of the experiment manured with glue-dross. On Monday, July 27th, 



