Somersetshire Farm-Prize Competition, 1875. 569 
wet seasons, and hence the indisposition to rely too much on 
icatch-crops, it being essential to thoroughly scarify the land, 
land eradicate weeds before putting in vetches. If the fallows 
are not carefully prepared, the chance of a failure of the turnip 
|crop is very great ; and as Mr. Bowerman considers a good 
root crop the basis upon which the successful growth of his 
grain crops depends, he hesitates to stake too much on the 
growth of intermediate crops. After an early harvest in a dry 
season mustard and stubble turnips have been sown with success : 
the former having been fed off with sheep and followed by swedes, 
and the latter kept till spring for the couples, and ultimately 
put to common turnips. As much autumn cultivation is ac- 
complished as possible, and, after cleaning, where practicable, 
the land is ploughed 9 inches deep. 
Mangolds. — A breadth of 3 acres only is grown, the land 
being considered too light, and the crop too exhaustive for its 
extensive cultivation. After autumn cleaning and ploughing, 
farmyard-manure is applied at the rate of 16 tons per acre, and 
ploughed in. The Yellow Globe variety is grown, being sown 
about the middle of April, at the rate of 5 to 6 lbs. per acre, on 
the flat, and at a distance of about 20 inches between the rows. 
From 4 to 5 cwt. of superphosphate is sown with the seed, at a 
cost of 35s. per acre. The plants are Dutch hand-hoed between 
the rows, horse-hoed once, singled out 15 to 18 inches apart, and 
the cultivation is afterwards completed by hand-cleaning. The 
roots are generally taken up in October, and all are removed from 
the land. Mangolds are never grown on the same land more 
frequently than once in eight years. Sometimes ^ cwt. of nitrate 
of soda and 3 cwt. of pollards are scuffled in by horse-hoe. 
Swedes are generally grown after wheat, without a previous 
intermediate crop. The land is worked down fine in the spring 
after cross ploughing, to allow the weeds to start, and after their 
removal it is dressed with 14 tons of good rotten dung on the 
surface, and again ploughed and worked, so as to thoroughly 
Intermix the manure with the soil. Ultimately the ground is 
usually ploughed a fourth time before sowing, although this is 
occasionally dispensed with, and cultivation suffices ; ploughing 
is, however, preferred, excepting in very wet seasons. The 
thorough intermixture of the farmyard-manure with the soil is 
thought to be very beneficial. Improved Purple-top swedes are 
sown on the flat at a distance of 16 inches apart, and the plants 
are set out 10 to 12 inches from one another : 4 to 5 cwt. of 
superphosphate is applied per acre, at a cost of 355. Sowing is 
deferred till the 17th to the 24th of June, as an earlier date 
[is found to render the plants liable to mildew. The horse-hoe 
Is seldom used for cleaning, the distance from row to row being 
VOL. XI. — S. S. 2 P 
