54 
On the Drill Husbandry of Turnips. 
for white turnips, on thin and dry soils generally, and particularly 
in such high and dry situations as the wolds of Yorkshire, where 
the soil is generally thin and resting on chalk, the balance of 
probable advantage was decidedly in favour of the level * system, 
if it was only intended to apply, under either system, such mamire 
as could be done by drill. 
The advocates for ridging said, "If we are to apply farm-yard 
manure, we must ridge, or we cannot derive the full benefit of 
having so manured : in addition to which, turnips are so much 
better to clean when ridged.'' 
Now, where is the advantage of having manure within ridges, 
if the soil above it is so dry as not to allow the plants to grow to 
such an age as to benefit by that manure ? 
Suppose we admit that, if you were sure of plenty of plants 
surviving until ready to hoe, you might in some cases get a 
heavier produce by ridges than on level, through applying farm- 
manure, &c., it does not follow, as a matter of course, that 
it would be a more valuable crop per acre ; because, when white 
turnips get beyond a certain size, they deteriorate in feeding quali- 
ties, especially if not consumed early in the season. At the same 
time it was argued, and since then has been abundantly proved, 
that white turnips may be got as large as it is desirable to have 
them for sheep, by drilling level, with the rows from 18 to 22 
inches apart, without farm-yard manure ; whereas, ridging is gene- 
rally performed at about 27 inches. It therefore follows, that if 
at about 20 inches apart you can get rows of as good turnips, as 
under the ridge system at 27 inches, there is a bonus of 7 acres 
in 27 in favour of the former, in addition to the greater certainty 
of a sufficiency of plants. 
As to the advantage in cleaning the land, this may be attained 
for the level system by clearing it of weeds, and the seeds of 
weeds (as I shall hereafter show), previous to the turnips being 
sown. Besides, by having the level-drilling performed in a 
straight and workmanlike manner, the land will be nearly as good 
to scuffle as if it had been ridged ; therefore, none of the nume- 
rous benefits derived from the frequent use of the horse-hoe need 
be lost by having the rows thus drilled on level. 
From that time the use of farm -yard manure for white turnips 
was abandoned by me and some of my neighbours, as a conse- 
quence of adopting the level system of sowing. 
Swedes require not only a greater depth of soil than white tur- 
nips, but richer land, or more manure; therefore, the chances in 
* The level system has been also partially adopted these twenty years 
on the light lands of the south, from the causes here mentioned ; and 
swedes and white turnips, raised by artificial manure, alone deposited by 
the drill. — G. Kimberley. 
