Report on some features of Scottish Agriculture. 201 
stipulated sum (from 3/. to 4/., with food and beer), for the whole 
period of harvest, however long it may last. This period varies 
in length from Ave to eight weeks, according to the weather ; and 
it was once known to last as long as eleven weeks. Women are 
employed for sheafing and other of the lighter operations, and 
get from 555. to 60a-., with food, for the whole harvest. Stacking 
and thatching are done by the harvestmen and the ordinary farm 
servants, who work at their usual rate of payment. 
2. Turnips. — Immediately after harvest the oat-stubble is 
ploughed as deeply as possible, the deeper the better, from 7 to 
13 inches, according to the depth of soil. It is then left until 
after oat-sowing is finished, generally until about the middle of 
April, when it is grubbed as deeply as possible, sometimes, if 
the land is not very clean, getting a cross-ploughing before the 
grubber is used. Ridging is delayed until immediately before 
seed-time, which commences with swedes about May 12th. When 
this work is commenced, no time is lost in completing it. 
Farmyard-manure, to the weight of from 10 to 20 tons, is put in 
the drills, and upon it not less than 10 or 12 bushels of bone- 
dust, and probably from 2 to 3 cwts. of guano; but the quantities 
of manures used vary with the quality and condition of the land. 
After the ridges have been split, from 2 to 4 lbs. of seed are 
immediately drilled, the sorts most used being Skirving's Purple- 
top swede, Shepherd's swede, and Aberdeen yellow turnips. 
No white turnips are grown, as they are not considered to possess 
sufficient feeding properties, being regarded as fit only for cows 
and young stock ; but the yellow Aberdeens constitute about one- 
half of the root-course. The plants are horse-hoed two or three 
times as may be required, and are finally hand-hoed, and singled 
by the hoe. The quality of the land determines the distance apart 
to which they are set out, and which varies from 9 to 13 or 14 
inches. About the middle or end of October is the time when 
it is usual to commence topping and tailing, care being taken 
not to bleed the bulbs, which are " pitted and secured every 
night to keep them free from frost and rain." * 
In his book, just quoted, Mr. M'Combie states, " I have adopted 
my friend Mr. Porter of Monymusk's plan (in a late climate, and 
where Swedish turnips in some years never come to full maturity) 
of pitting them upon the land where they grow, from one to two 
loads together ; and, although not quite ripe, I have never seen a 
turnip go wrong when stored in this manner. The land also 
escapes being poached, as the turnips are carted in frost, and at 
a time when the other operations of the farm are not pressing. 
* ' Cattle and Cattle-breeders,' p. 26. 
