428 



Agricidtiire of NortlnimherlancL 



quantities are now sent by shipping; to Newcastle from the north- 

 ern part of the county. It is indeed impossible to over-estimate 

 the value of these manures^ their effect upon this crop being so 

 certain. Before they came into general use, the only resource the 

 farmer had was his farm-yard dung, which could only raise a suf- 

 ficient quantity of food to keep the stock alive, instead of fattening 

 them, as now, during the v/inter. 



Early in February the bustle of preparation for turnip seed-time 

 commences ; the horses are worked with but little intermission from 

 five in the morning until dark, so that each pair will put in about 1 7 

 acres during the season. The preparation of the land and after- 

 culture of the turnip do not differ from that already described, ex- 

 cept in the substitution of bones and guano for the farm-yard 

 dung; they are now generally used mixed, at the rate of 4 cwt. 

 per acre. No effectual remedy appears to have been discovered 

 for the ravages of the fly or caterpillar. It is found that after 

 the turnip has been cultivated a number of years on the same 

 ground, it is attacked by what is here called fingers and toes," 

 which is caused by a small beetle. Lime is said to remedy this 

 evil, but the only certain cure is either a bare fallow or a crop of 

 potatoes instead of the turnips. The ground is seldom stripped 

 entirely of the turnips, that being found too impoverishing. The 

 usual practice is, to pull off every alternate 6 drills, for the use of 

 the cattle in the folds, and to eat the remainder on with sheep ; 

 the dry character of the land rendering this easy, and more 

 beneficial than any amount of manure that could be applied, for 

 the after-crops. 



2. The preparation of the land and after-culture of the barley 

 do not differ from what has been already described. The Che- 

 valier is usually grown, and, if it follows a good crop of turnips, 

 will yield as far as 50 bushels per acre. Although this rotation 

 is commonly called the tujiiip and harley system, it might with 

 nearly equal propriety be called the turnip and wheat, as a most 

 striking change has taken place of late in the extent to which 

 wheat is grov/n on light soils, where its culture was formerly 

 thought impossible. It is found, when the turnips are eaten on 

 the land with sheep, abundant crops of wheat can be grown, if 

 sown before February or even March. 



3 and 4. As in the previous rotation, clover and grass seeds are 

 sown upon the wheat or Vjarley in the spring.* On all but the 

 very richest land, the grass remains two years at least. It is gene- 



* On wheat soils, the following is the quantity sown : — Broad clover, 

 .5 lbs. ; hop clover, 1 lb. ; and white, 1 lb. ; with ^ bushel of rye-grass per 

 acre. On turnip-land the writer has been informed that the loUowing 

 never fails to produce a good crop : — broad clover, 5 lbs. ; white, 3 lbs. ; 

 hop, 2 lbs. ; rib-grass, 2 lbs. ; with 1 bushel of rye-grass. 



