172 Report on some features of Scottish Agriculture. 
singled with the hoe. The root-crops generally range from 20 
to 25 tons per imperial acre. 
Not more than one-third of the roots are now fed on the land. 
Formerly as many as one-half were thus consumed, but it has 
lately been found necessary to reduce the quantity, owing to the 
high condition of the land making the following crop of barley 
so strong that it destroyed the seeds. The land is rather heavy 
for sheep, so that it is frequently impossible to keep them on 
turnips continuously. In such cases they are taken on seeds, and 
one inducement to draw turnips is the opportunity of feeding 
them on seeds, and thus improving the succeeding crop of 
potatoes. Wheat is still grown after turnips, but only on the 
land where sheep have consumed part of the crop on the ground, 
and which can be sown in good order before Christmas ; but 
barley is preferred for spring sowing, as it always commands 
a very high price and meets with a ready sale. 
6. Barley. — The land for barley is ploughed to a moderate 
depth as soon as the turnips are off and the sheep have run over 
to pick up the leavings. It is liked to get as much land as 
can be cleared exposed to winter and spring frosts for as long 
as possible. Spring cultivation consists chiefly of harrowing ; 
but a piece of rough ground would be grubbed and gone 
over with a Norwegian harrow until a good tilth was ob- 
tained. About the 8th of March, or as soon after as the land 
is fit, it is drilled with Chevalier barley, about 9 pecks of 
seed being used per imperial acre. As soon as the barley is 
brairded, the mixture of seeds is sown with a broadcast machine 
doing 18 feet at a time and hoed in by hand with a Dutch hoe; 
and, if the barley is strong enough, the land gets a turn with the 
harrows. Some farmers prefer to sow the barley broadcast and 
use the harrows afterwards, thus getting rid of wild mustard. 
The barley-crop will average from 6 to 7 quarters, but some 
fields yield more, 
8. Seeds. — The following is the mixture of seeds which is to 
stand for one or two years only, the quantities being per imperial 
acre: — 1\ lbs. red clover, 3 lbs. white clover, 1^ lb. trefoil, 1\ lb, 
alsike, and 2 pecks of mixed perennial and Italian rye grass ; but 
sometimes the quantity of rye grass is increased. No white clover 
is sown for cutting, but the quantity of red is increased to 9 lbs., and 
the rye grass is either about 1^ peck of perennial or 2 to 2^ pecks 
of Italian, or generally part of each, the quantities of trefoil and 
alsike remaining the same in both cases. The seeds which stand 
only one year are fed with sheep and a few cattle running together, 
and as a rule getting cake, especially if the stock is intended for 
the butcher. On the seeds intended to stand another year it is 
essential that the stock should consume cake on it. From 20 to 
