Farming of Northam'pt onsliirc. 



55 



Experiments with Artificial Manures, by Mr. Wiggins, for Swede 

 Turnips, on plots of ground 20 poles each. The whole of the pro- 

 duce of each plot was weighed in the second week of November, 

 1849. Also, produce of the succeeding crop of Barley, 1850. The 

 whole of the root crop was taken off, and no Manure applied for the 

 Barley, except on No, 8, part of the Turnips consumed. 



Manures. 



Quantity 



used 

 per Acre. 



Price 

 per Acre. 



Weight of Crop. 



Produce of 

 Barley Crop, 

 18/jO. 



Qr. bus.pks, 



5 1 0 

 4 5 0 

 4 7 0 

 4 5 1 



4 6 2 



4 2 2 



4 2 0 



6 0 Of 



No. 



2. Gelatine 



3. Bone manure* .... 



5. Nitrate of soda .... 



6. Superphosphate of lime 



8. Farm-yard manure . 



8 cwt. 



cwt. 

 12 bhls, 

 3 cwt. 

 / 2 cwt. \ 

 \ 18 lbs. / 

 r not \ 

 \ known. J 



2v0 loads. 



£. s. d. 



1 10 0 

 1 10 0 

 1 10 0 

 1 10 0 



1 10 0 

 1 10 0 



Tns. cwt. qrs. lbs. 

 17 16 0 0 



16 8 0 8 



17 13 1 4 



18 15 0 24 



18 16 3 4 



14 18 1 11 



12 12 2 10 

 17 8 2 8 



^ I 



The land on which these experiments were made was a thin, light soil, and had not 

 been manured for four years previous. 



In tlie months of October or November the white turnips are 

 generally stocked first with lambs or shearhogs, that receive 

 also some barley-strav/, hay, or cut chaff. Many farmers 

 separate the wether from the ewe tegs, giving the former some 

 corn or cake in addition to hay or cut chaff : thus being enabled 

 to bring them to market very early in the spring, and also being 

 partly repaid for the corn in the increased value of the suc- 

 ceeding barley crop. The ewes are permitted either to follow 

 the lambs in the turnip-field to pick up what they leave, or a 

 portion of the crop is carted off and given to them on the grass- 

 land. 



Swede turnips, being better able to stand the severity of the 

 frost, are not stocked until after the white crop is consumed, when 

 the sheep are put upon them ; the shearhog sheep receiving about 

 a pint of beans or pease per day, or a portion of oil-cake, cut 

 chaff, clover, or meadow hay. On good sound land and by^ a 

 supply of food they make rapid progi^ess, and wdll be ready 

 for the butcher in the months of March and April, The w-ether 

 tegs also^ when supplied with corn or cake in addition to s"wede 

 turnips, will be ready to be shorn and sent to market in May, — a 

 system very generally adopted by many first-rate occupiers of 



* The bones were first dissolved with sulphuric acid, and mixed with gypsum 

 and agricultural salt, and then measured in that state. 



t On No, 8 two-thirds of the turnips was consumed on the land.. 



