204 
Farming of Oxfordshire. 
clover, and rye-grass, mown the first year and depastured the 
second. Now and then a field of seeds the second year is once 
ploughed, and sown with rape or turnips as a preparation for 
wheat. 
On the red soils in the north of the county, two white straw 
crops in succession are common, and the barley after the wheat 
is usually as much in quantity as well as better in quality than 
when following turnips. This fertile land can well afford an 
extra crop, and when expertly cultivated, as most of it is, shows 
the practicability and advantage of the system. 
As turnips are the most important crop, laying the foundation 
of the rotation, the cultivation of green and root crops may be 
first described. 
On stock lands directly the wheat is cut the land between the 
rows of shocks is frequently ploughed, and the sheaves may even 
be removed to the ploughed ground, so that all the land be 
turned over and ready for the turnips the moment the wheat is 
carted. Should the ground have been manured for the wheat 
crop no further dressing is applied, but, if not, guano or super- 
phosphate is sown with the seed. There are several varieties of 
stubble turnips ; the Early Stone, Matson's Green Globe, Sutton's 
Six Weeks, and the Orange Jelly being the favourites. The 
latter is a pretty little turnip, but the bad quality of the seed 
supplied by the introducer has this year caused much disappoint- 
ment. These stubble turnips will require horse-hoeing, and 
should be set out with narrow hoes, as of course there is not 
much time for them to grow to any great size. This season has 
been much against the production of stubble turnips, almost all 
the crop throughout the country being destroyed by the slug ; 
but in most years very pretty little ci'ops are grown, and these 
may be fed off to be followed by barley or oats, or they may 
remain till late in the spring for the ewes and lambs, when the 
succeeding crop will probably be swedes. As it is the object 
of farmers to procure a constant and varying supply of green 
crops for the stock in the summer, they select a clean piece of 
wheat stubble in which they sow Trifolium incarnatum for feed- 
ing off". This is best done in August, certainly not later than 
in September, and should be drilled in the stubble, without 
being j)loughed, at the rate of 20 lbs. per acre, and then twice 
harrowed. Some simply sow the seed broad-cast, and drive the 
sheep over the stubble to trample it in. If trifolium is sown 
late, it is sure to be partially, if not entirely, devoured by slugs. 
Should the crop be intended for seed, it may produce from 5 
to 10 cwt. per acre, and is mostly cleared oft" in time for late 
turnips. Trifolium is often sown on defective clover leys to fill 
up the blank places which may die off, or have been killed by 
