On the Tussac Gram- in the Falkland Islands. 
21 
pear from any part of the island where stall-fed cattle arc kept, it might 
be advisable to treat this plant as hay is in Britain, by which means its 
nutritious properties would doubtless be much better secured to the 
animals during tlie winter months, than by allowing the leaves gradually 
to wither, and not gathering it until nature has dried them. 
" For shec]), as hay, it would also do well ; though I fear that it is of 
too wet a nature, and thrives best in situations far too damp for their 
succeeding on it all the year round. Experience only will prove this : 
at any rate newly-imported flocks should not at once be removed from 
dry fodder to any so succulent. 
" You are aware that many English plants invariably follow man, un- 
designedly on his part ; many such are common here — as the groundsel 
chickweed, and shepherd's purse, docks, &c. ; and have been distributed 
chiefly through the agency of cattle, rabbits, fowls, and horses, more or 
less all over the island : amongst such, and most abundant of all, is the 
Poa annua, a very common English grass, and which forms a short 
bright green sward all the year round on the drier soil near the settle- 
ment, mixed with a few of the smaller native grasses and the common 
Diitcli clover. Close to government-house there are many acres of such 
pasturage ; the sheep seem very partial to it, and thrive uncommonly 
well : a little attention to its increase, especially by sowing it in similar 
situations, and draining the ground, might produce very beneficial 
results." 
III. — On the Culture of Mamjold-Wurzel. 
Ey Earl Lovelace. 
I WRITE down a few particulars respecting the culture of the 
mangold-wurzel as I have been requested to do. The soil I 
occupy is a loam, working freely, but apt to burn in summer. 
The best practice I find is to plough up the land if a stubble in 
the autumn, first laving on about 7 or 8 loads of dung (of 50 
cubic feet each). In the spring it is cross-cut and harrowed to a 
smooth surface. In April the ground is ridged at a width of 
3 feet by a double mould-board going out and returning in the 
same furrow. The subsoil -plough follows immediately along the 
furrow, and stirs the ground 15 inches deeper; and the remainder 
of the 15 loads of dung allotted to each acre is put in the trench 
and co\ered in the usual manner. The mangold is sown on the 
newly-formed ridge with the Northumberland drill, about the 
end of April or the beginning of May ; three or four weeks 
afterwards the furrows are subsoiled (so that the whole field is 
thoroughly stirred), and the plants are left to stand at intervals 
(in the lines) of 14 to 18 inches, the lines being 3 feet apart. 
I will only add one word more about the second subsoiling. 
After the plants have come up, and are five or six weeks old, if 
you esamine them you will find that even then their fibres are 
