552 On the Use of the Reapim/ Machine, and the Root-Crops in 1860. 
rain in the months of JMay, June, and July (exceeding 3 inches in 
the month of June), accompanied by a temperature upwards of 2° 
in May, 4° in Jime, and (>" in July, imder the mean average of 
those months, will sufficiently account for the great falling off of 
this root in point of weight, and, it is to be feared, in point of feed- 
ing quality also. 
Swedes are a more hardy plant, but they were seriously aff"ected 
during the season of their usually rapid increase in size, and are an 
inferior crop everywhere within my observation. The most suc- 
cessful root-crops this season on my farm have been hybrids— the 
yellow Aberdeen and the Lincolnshire red turnips, sown towards 
the end of July after vetches, which had been fed off hj sheep. 
The earliest sowing of these has produced as good turnips as I have 
grown in any season. 
I am, dear Sir, yours truly, 
Charles Lawrence. 
Tlie Qiiirns, Cirencester. 
4. — Extract from a Letter hy J. Ourdon Rebow, Esq., on the 
Feedimj qualities of Half-bred Soutlidoicii and Leicester, as 
contrasted loith the Pure Southdoion Sheep. 
I WILL now give you the result of my sheep-grazing last winter. As 
you are aware, mine is a pure Southdown flock, crossed chiefly with 
\\'ebb's, Lugar, and Overman's rams. Believing I could obtain a 
more valuable cross for grazing, 1 selected out of the .'!00 ewes the 
best 150, to breed Downs, and crossed the draught 150 with Lei- 
cester tups. From the produce of these two lots 1 kept 100 Downs, 
and 100 half-breds to put to roots ; of the former 60 were ewe lambs 
to come into the flock. They were all born about the same time, 
that is, in January and February, 1859. I put each 100 in equal- 
sized folds (side by side) in a 30-acrc field of swedes ; their respec- 
tive folds were advanced as required, and the difference was, that 
the half-breds finished their division in the morning, the Dowtis 
theirs in the evening of the nitme da//, thus showing very satisfac- 
torily that the former did not consume more than the latter. They 
afterwards fed together; and from the 23rd March, until sold, had 
corn (peas). The 200 consumed 16 combs ((54 bushels) of peas. 
The half-bred Leicesters were sold on the 19th May at 46s. ; those 
of the Downs not intended for the flock on the 2nd June, at 46s. Gd. ; 
but as in the interim the price of meat had jumped up Id. per lb., 
these selling-prices are no criterion. The buyer of the half-breds, 
however, valued the Downs on the 19th IMay at 5s. a-head less than 
those he purchased. 
I weighed one of the best of each lot alive on four occasions ; the 
following is the result : — 
29 January, 1860. lbs. 
Half-bred Leicester . . .. .. .. 142 
Povvn .. .. .. .. .. 136 
