Arable Lands in Dry Climates. 
343 
the dunging — when dung is to be used — should take place and 
be ploughed in as long before the seed is to be sown as possible, 
consistently, of course, with being well done when the land is dry 
enough. When it is intended to grow turnips on ridges (by 
turnips is meant to be implied swedes and all other kinds of 
turnips), the land should be prepared some time before the dung 
is applied and the seed sown ; the intention in every case being 
to retain the moisture in the soil by allowing it to be at rest, 
instead of turning it about during hot weather to dissipate the 
moisture just before the seed is sown. On farms having a small 
extent of green crops the strength is seldom sufficient to dung, 
plough, and sow the seed on the same day ; but when any extent 
above forty acres is sown, the available strength of men and horses 
should be able to carry on every operation simultaneously. Some 
turnip-sowing machines roll the land as they sow the seed, and 
cannot do one thing without doing both. This is rather a mis- 
fortune sometimes, as the ground may be in a most desirably 
moist state for the reception of the seed, but this cannot be sown 
on account of the roller clogging. By delaying until the ground 
is dry enough for the roller to work, the soil becomes too dry for 
the seed to braird, and thus a crop may be lost, or partially so, 
from not being able to sow without rolling. Every machine or 
drill should be so constructed that it can be used without being 
affected by the state of the land, or during showery weather. 
When land is comparatively dry, turnip-ridges should be rolled 
the same day as the seed is sown ; but it may be better to delay 
the rolling for a day or two afterwards, according to the kind of 
land, state of the soil, weather, &c. Sometimes the land is better 
unrolled altogether ; but, unless in unusually wet weather, the roll 
should certainly be used to press the soil together and retain the 
moisture. 
It has frequently been a matter of discussion whether turnips 
should be grown on ridges, or on the flat surface. I think it would 
be useless to attempt to enter largely upon this subject. On dry 
sandy soils, in dry climates, moisture is certainly retained better 
by sowing on the flat than on high ridges. A great deal depends 
upon how the various operations are conducted. By slovenly, or, 
at least, by dilatory turnip-growers, more moisture is allowed to 
escape during the preparation and sowing of turnips upon the 
flat, than is lost by a better course of management when the culti- 
vation is on the ridge system. The ridges may generally be so 
rolled down as to be nearly meeting, with a depression between 
them of only a few inches. In such case there is little more 
chance for moisture to escape than by the flat system. The ridge 
system allows the manure to be placed more directly under the 
seed than by the broad-cast method. It also allows of a much 
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