Bets, 
526 = 260 Practical Agriculture. 
nection with the fokl on turnips. The plan of inclosing 
portion of the turnip-field, sufficient for several days' consum 
tion, and permitting the sheep free walk over the whole area, 
not often followed, except sometimes at the commencement 
the season, or for hoggets. The general practice is to inclo 
a fresh portion of the crop sufficient for one day's consumptic 
not always of a uniform area or carrying a similar quantity 
roots, but regulated to some extent according to the dieting 
the animals as well as the state of the land and the weathi 
The flock is permitted to roam over the cleared portions ; t 
fold increasing in space, but being often limited by the leng 
of fencing available. Young or hogget sheep never follow afl 
ewes or fatting wethers, except under rare circumstances ; a 
it is usual for tegs to occupy the most forward inclosures a 
always to begin the new plots of roots, while the older she 
follow in a second fold to clear up the hulls. 
Hurdles .md The fencing employed varies in different parts of the count 
In many parts of England, where copses prevail, the hurd 
are cheaply made on the farm, of wattled or woven hazel, a 
are held upright by strong stakes or " shaws," to which t 
hurdles are hung by " shackles." In other parts they cons 
of wooden bar " trays," the ends or heads having long poii 
which are driven into the ground by a mallet or " beetle, ' 1 
holes in some soils being opened for them by a pointed iron b 
On shallow soils, particularly in the north, a short-footed hun 
is used, held in an inclined position by a stay or prop, witl 
" stob " or pin driven into the ground. And either alone, or 
conjunction with trays, dressed yarn netting, of large mesh, si 
ported by stakes, is used in many localities, as being clu 
in first cost and removable with little labour. Iron hurd 
upon small wheels, expensive at first purchase, but economi 
from their great durability, are becoming adopted by high-cl. 
farmers ; their use being especially in favour for hurdling 
clover and other grazings when the ground is ba'ked hard a 
ordinary hurdles can be shifted only with difficulty. 
Storing, clean- Cleaning the roots by toppins: and tailing, slicine:, and fci 
cutting roots troughs are practices which prevail over most parts 
England, more especially in the consumption of swedes. 1 
these practices are by no means universal. Thus, the Han 
shire and Wiltshire method is to let all sheep, even the ram tc , 
cut their own turnips, which, however, are pecked up loose out i 
the ground for them. The cost of getting into heaps and cutti 
is avoided, and the sheep certainly do not injure themselves 
over-eating roots — a frequent cause of abortion in ewes : I 
then the custom is to supplement the root food by supply! : 
large quantities of sainfoin and clover-hay in racks, in additii 
I 
