East Ridi)i(j of Yorkshire. 
109 
of honino; and tliinninjj: the crop has been generally adopted, and 
but just now (1812) that the perfect management practised on 
each side of the Tweed, of sowing it on one-bout ridges, at the 
distance of about 26 inches between the rows, and 9 inches from 
plant to plant, is coming into use." 
Drilling has now become universal. No such thing as a field 
of turnips sown broadcast is to be seen. The ridge-practice, 
however, except where swedes are sown (and this probably does 
not constitute more than one-tenth of the whole turnip acreage), 
is now superseded by the custom of drilling on the flat. More 
than one cause has contributed to this. The use of bones and 
other hand-tillages introduced the practice, because, as the bones 
and turnip-seed are generally drilled together, it became unne- 
cessary that the land should be previously formed into ridges. 
It was also very obvious that, upon the dry shallow soils of the 
Wolds, the mode of drilling upon the level, and immediately 
afterwards of rolling the land with a smooth iron roller, was much 
more calculated to insure an early brairding of the plant, and to 
secure it from the fatal effects of drought, than when the land 
was ridged, and consequently when more surface was exposed to 
the sun's rays. And this the experience of succeeding years has 
entirely confirmed. It is even probable that, on the heavier Wold 
soils, and where swedes are grown, the ridge-system will be aban- 
doned, and a method will be adopted which shall permit the 
application of fold-yard manure and the drilling of seed on the 
level. 
The following statement has been furnished by a practical 
Wold farmer : — 
" The turnip-crop has many enemies to contend with in its early 
stages, especially drought and Jly. Mine is a heavy soil, and well 
adapted for swedes. I used always to ridge my swedes ; and I applied 
10 or 12 loads of good fold-yard manure per acre, nor did I ever sow 
the seed until the land was fit. Spite of all this, in a dry time, although 
the seed did vegetate, yet the young plants could not get on ; and, if the 
fly attacked them strongly, were almost sure to be cut off. If it was a 
very dry time, the seed would lie in the ground until rain came, 
and then they never did so well as if they had come up at once. It 
seemed to me that this was mainly owing to the ridging plan. The 
land, according to this plan, got so many turnings and splittings — first 
in making the ridges, then in closing them after the manure, and last 
of all in drilling the seed — that all moisture was gone; and unless a 
shower of rain came just at the right time, my hopes of a crop were 
gone also. Therefore for the last two years I have done thus : — I en- 
deavour to have my stubbles ploughed by the end of November. In 
the month of March (or earlier if frost should come) all the manure 
that is wanted for the crop of swedes (viz. according to the rate of 10 
