TJie Winter of 1885-86. 
395 
and turnips. The winter of 1885 was long, but not very severe. The spring 
of 1885 was most imgenial, and nothing so far (July 7th) has done well. 
"3. To make myself understood I must go back to the commencement of 
1885. My seeds were a failure. I tlicrcfore carted upon the land where they 
should have been (25 acres), about 20 tons of mangolds per acre, to be eaten 
by 590 tegs, with oilcake and chaff. The ewes and lambs (300) were folded 
upon old seeds with mangolds and oilcake, until the winter vetches were 
ready ; the lambs were then weaned and folded upon them, still having some 
mangolds and cake. After the winter vetches they went to 10 acres of 
Russell's kale, which had been drilled in Ajiril. Meantime the 25 acres 
where the tegs had been eating mangolds had been cultivated behind them, 
and planted with, part spring vetches, part rape, part kale, part Sutton's early 
Drumhead cabbage, part late Drumheads ; these, with oilcake and chaff, 
kept the lambs until November, when they went to turnips — of which I had 
only 10 acres — then to mangolds. These were not generally good. With 
me they were a great crop ; they had been planted upon land which had been 
treated in 1884 as the 25 acres in 1885 described above, that is, where 20 tons 
of mangolds had been consumed per acre, the only difference being that instead 
of the after-crops being as mentioned, the whole field (31 acres) was in 
turnips, a very good crop, all eaten on the ground with cake and chaff; thus 
the preparation for mangolds was two green crops eaten on the land the 
previous year, and in addition, 5 cwt. per acre of fish guano when planted, 
and 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda when hoed. 
" 4. As to cattle, I have abundance of hay and straw, cut into chaff, with 
a mixture of boiled linseed and meal, given to about 100 head of all ages in 
covered yards, without roots, except to 35 feeding beasts, after Christmas. 
Sheep, mangolds, cake, and chaff. 
" 5. It caused the winter vetches to be later than usual, and the ewes and 
lambs to be dependent longer on mangolds. The lambs are now (June 26th) 
on winter vetches with mangolds and cake. Spring vetches will be ready 
when wanted, then Russell's kale drilled in April and May. 
" 6. I have no experience of ensilage except upon an estate where I was 
agent. It was first tried there in 1883, >vith entire success, and is now 
adopted on a larger scale. I entirely believe in it. 
"7. Shelter for sheep is not required. I feed them during part of the 
winter in sheds and yards, but this is because in wet weather my land is 
unfit for them. 
" 9. The low prices of beef and mutton previous to February were owing, 
I think, greatly to forced sales of half-fatted animals, consequent upon a 
general scarcity of roots. Since February prices have been high enough. 
" 10. I can only suggest, increased growth of mangolds when the climate 
is suitable; they will do with liberal treatment on any soil, with a certainty 
— south of the Tweed — of double produce upon land adapted to turnips ; 
with equal certainty, with proper treatment, where turnips cannot be grown, 
that is, upon heavy clay land. Yellow-fleshed mangolds, by careful selection 
of bulbs for seed, have become much increased in size ; they keep longer, and 
are far more nutritive than others. In northern climates, where mangolds do 
not succeed, swedes and turnips do not often fail ; but in the event of 
failure anywhere, and a consequent depreciation in the value of sheep, I 
would not sell, but keep them upon this mixture : — 
"Boil in a furnace 80 gallons of water, add 3 pecks of linseed, let it 
boil 10 minutes, well stirred; add 3 bushels of any meal that is cheapest 
— usually maize or barley, or, better still, the two mixed ; take out the fire, 
and stir the contents of the furnace till well mixed, then pour into a tub to 
cool, and mix with as much chaff as will serve 180 sheep for one daj^ I 
name these quantities and this number of sheep, because it is the number 
2 D 2 
