On Drawing Turnips. 



161 



Whether the crop be only drawn off in part, or whether it be en- 

 tirely carried away, the plan now proposed will, it is thouj^ht, be 

 the best mode which, under the circumstances, can be adopted, 

 either in reference to light soils, or to those of a heavier character. 



The next subject refers to " the means of avoiding injury to the 

 future crops from cutting up the land in carting, more particularly 

 in clay soils." This injury cannot be more effectually prevented 

 than by adopting the mode of drawing and carrying away, as just 

 proposed. Were the ridging system, however, to be adopted — 

 which every good farmer will, as far as practicable, put into use — • 

 the evil referred to might be entirely prevented. I might, there- 

 fore, answer this inquiry by saying, that the best means of avoid- 

 ing any injury, botli to the crop of turnips and to those which 

 succeed, would be, by putting into practice the system of ridges at 

 proper distances. The operations of hoeing and weeding, and 

 then those to follow, by the cutter and the mould-board plough, 

 having entirely disencumbered the plants of all weeds, turned up 

 the soil to the ridges, and deepened also, sufficiently, the spaces 

 between them, no damage whatever need be apprehended, either 

 by the wheels of the cart or the movement of the horse. Indeed, 

 the work of carting and carrying, under this system, may be the 

 means of destroying any small remaining weeds of sudden growth 

 in the spaces ; and, by the raising of the soil up to the ridges, it 

 will not only offer an opportunity for the crop being thoroughly 

 cleaned, but the soil having been often worked over, and exposed 

 to the action of the weather, it will arrive at that mellow, pulve- 

 rized state which is necessary to the securing of a future crop. 



We now proceed to consider " the best mode of supplying the 

 loss of manure, arising by the turnips not being consumed on the 

 land." The best application of manure for the purpose of pro- 

 viding food for the coming plant consists, in not only providing a 

 proper distribution of the stimulus, but in applying it also in such 

 a mode as that the greatest portion of it shall be placed within 

 reach of the plants, for the gradual support of their growth. Such 

 is the peculiar advantage of those finer and more pulverized ma- 

 nures, of artificial application, which find their way most speedily 

 to the roots of plants — such as burnt soil, bone-dust, rape-dust, or 

 fresh soil, salt. Sec. Now these manures can be applied by drilling 

 and other modes, within such prescribed bounds as to come ex- 

 actly in contact with the plant, not being dispersed uselessly over 

 such parts of the field where the stimulus would, at least, be use- 

 less for a time. The greater portion of the manures above named 

 may be drilled in, along with the seed itself, so as to fall in its 

 immediate vicinity, within reach of its vivifying action, so as to 

 draw from it the hidden principle which stimulates to production. 

 Such is the plan with the drilling of wheat, barley, turnips, Sic. ; 



VOL. I. M 



