Farming of DorsetsJdre. 
413 
estimate who has to pay 5s. or Gs. a-dozcn for hurdles, besides 
time, horses, and Labour. 
The turnip husbandry of the chalk district is adiniraljl?, and 
of late years it has made great advances under the stimulating- 
influence of the large silver cups offered to the best turnip 
growers by some of the local agricultural societies, as well as by 
the increased attention given by the farmer both to his own 
home-made manures and to artificials. Superphosphate was at 
one time all the rage for this crop, but many farmers incline to 
favour half-inch bones, v/hich are considered to be a medium for 
conveying more continuous nourishment to the growing plant 
than superphosphate, the rapid effects of which, in starting the 
young plant into leaf, arc by no means lost sight of. Hence super- 
phosphate is applied for the present nourishment of the crop, and 
,bone3 and guano for its " second course." Many farmers now 
prepare bones themselves. The pigs and horses are littered 
with chaff, with which the crushed bones are af terwards mixed 
and the heaji being covered with sand or fine earth to keep in the 
heat, the bones arc soon sufficiently reduced to enable the rootlets 
to extract from them a continued supply of nutriment. Upon, 
the farm of Mr. Joseph Darby, of Lytchett, the writer saw a 
very fine field of swedes grown entirely on manure prepai-ed in 
this fashion, and topping an adjoining crop raised on super- 
phosphate alone. 
Tiie growth of sainfoin, tliough much in favour with the best 
farmers, is not cultivated as it might and ought to be. Witii 
some its expense, and with others its tendency to couch in the 
latter years of the ley, are considered sufficient excuses for ex- 
cluding it from their course, although em}>hatically the plant for 
a calcareous soil. It is considered that it is grown in much less 
quantities than on farms of the same characler in Wilts. Scarcely 
any lucerne or Alsykc clover is grown, but Italian rye is culti- 
vated with great success. Mr. Oram thinks t!ie dairy sometimes 
suffers, where sheep and dairy farms are combined, by the sheep 
being kept on the pastures too late in the spring. Consequent!}-, 
dairies are often let at IZ. per cow less than in Somerset and 
North Wilts. He suggests that this may be avoided by growing- 
more mangold and using more corn in sheep-feeding. jNIangold. 
is frequently dibbled. Charles Porclier, Esq., of Clyffe, had, at 
the time the writer visited his farm, a fine piece of mangold 
grown with charcoal urate, 5 cwt. to the acre, with 25 loads of 
dung. The seeds had been dibbled in by boys, two of whom 
Avould get in half an acre a-day, at a cost of 14(Z. Swedes are 
almost always drilled, but for v/lieat the drill is getting into dis- 
favour, especially on heavy soils. Mr. George Summers told 
me that broadcasting is very prevalent in his neighbourhood 
VOL, XV. 2 E 
