On Draiving Turnips. 



165 



to be comparatively trifling. One man will draw up and lead 

 away from a good crop on ridges (with a one-horse cart) two loads, 

 containing about 25 cwt. each cart. If we estimate a hundred- 

 weight for each feeding beast per day, and half that quantity for 

 other beasts, one man's labour will supply turnip-feeding for a 

 great number of beasts, either folded or tied up. Something, 

 however, must depend upon the distance of the field, and the 

 abundance and regularity of the crop. Upon a review of the 

 whole subject, it may be stated, that when turnips are grown upon 

 the ridge- system, and at proper distances or spaces from each 

 other, no damage need be apprehended either to the present or 

 future crops by the drawing and the carrying of them away. 

 There is perhaps no crop attainable within the whole range of 

 agricultural produce which yields so valuable a portion of nutri- 

 tious and wholesome food as the Sv/ede turnip. It is useful in 

 the field — it is valuable at home ; and when the crop is divided 

 in the manner above pointed out, it supplies the best of food in 

 the greatest abundance for present use, and produces a plenti- 

 ful supply of manure for future improvement. 

 Pappleivick, near Nottingham. 



XVI. — On the Gestation of Cows. By the Right Hon. Earl 

 Spencer, President of the Society. Read May 25, 1839. 



For the purpose partly of curiosity and partly because I thought 

 the notions entertained respecting the ordinary period of ges- 

 tation of cows incorrect, I several years since began to take 

 notes, whenever a cow calved, of the length of time she had 

 been pregnant ; and, having now the periods of gestation of 764 

 cows taken in this way, I think a sufficient number of cases has 

 been collected to enable me to draw general conclusions from 

 the observations which I have made. I am certainly not aware 

 of any practical use to which the knowledge of the results to 

 which I am about to draw the attention of the English Agricul- 

 tural Society can be applied, but, as they are connected with the 

 physiology of cattle, and as they differ from statements made in 

 some books of deservedly high authority on agricultural science, 

 I think they may be considered suffi-ciently interesting to induce 

 the Publication Committee to insert this Paper in the Journal. 



In order the more clearly to bring under the ^ iew of the Eng- 

 lish Agricultural Society the conclusions to which my observa- 

 tions have led me, I shall begin by inserting a Table which will 

 show how many cows producing live calves have gone each of the 

 different periods therein mentioned. The first column shows the 

 number of days of gestation ; the second the number of cows 



