454 
Farm Reports. 
forest, as we saw the same tiling at Hodsock Lodge, and it is 
explained by the fact that this black gravel grows mangolds 
better than any other crop, and " mangolds do not tire like 
other things." On some very light gravelly land (about 40 
acres) at Hodsock there is still another variation of the 4- 
course system, oats being taken after seeds, and wheat after 
turnips. 
1. ^/7iea^.— The seeds are manured with from 8 to 10 one-horse 
loads of farmyard manure,* the practice at Ranby being to put 
it on a short time before ploughing, while Mr. Hodgkinson has 
become a convert to the practice of putting it on in July ; but 
the former method is the one typical of the district. This varia- 
tion affects the whole subsequent treatment. The seeds having 
been manured not more than a fortnight, and sometimes imme- 
diately before ploughing, the land is ploughed from 4^ to 5 
inches deep, pressed, and sown broadcast without delay ; indeed, 
at Ranby not more than one field is ploughed at a time, the 
seed almost following the plough, as forest land sets quickly. 
Sowing is done during the month of October, from 9 to 10 
pecks being used per acre ; the sort most in vogue is still 
Hunter's White (sometimes called Scotch Brown), as it was 
five-and-twenty years ago, when Mr. Corringham wrote his 
Prize Essay on the Agriculture of Nottinghamshire. At 
Morton Grange, the seeds having been manured in July, the 
land is ploughed from 8 to 9 inches deep in October, and sow- 
ing commences at the end of the month with 9 or 10 pecks of 
Hunter's White, getting finished off by Martinmas. Turnip- 
land wheat is not sown so early, and the quantity of seed used 
is larger, being increased as the season advances to about three 
bushels at Christmas. " Chidham " is a favourite sort on 
turnip-land. A usual top-dressing is 11 cwt. of guano, except 
after turnips eaten off by sheep with cake ; and from 4 to 5 
cwt. of salt is also used in the spring, especially after turnips, 
as it prevents canker (poppies) if got in before they strike. 
The land is harrowed immediately after salting, and is 
always harrowed early in the spring, as soon as it is dry. 
Mr. Ashton's practice nearly corresponds with that of Mr. 
Wilkinson, except that he likes to drill his turnip-land wheat, 
and is not quite so anxious to sow immediately after ploughing, 
the reason being that his land is not so light. Horse and hand 
hoeing are either both done by da^ vvork, or the latter is let at 
from 2s. to 3s. per acre. It is not usual to hoe more than is 
* When manure has run short, Mr. Wilkinson has used 7 bushels of bones as a 
substitute ; and Mr. Ashton, in such cases, uses either bones or rape-dust on the 
seed-land. 
