East Ridiiicf of Yorhsliire. 
Ill 
In many cases ashes had been used, or burnt eartli, as an absorbent, 
and for t'aciHtating the deposition of the seed. I was resolved, liow- 
cver, although at a higher cost, to substitute malt combs, and tiie re- 
sult has answered my expectations. Last season, as is known, has not 
been generally favourable to the growth of turnips; in some localities 
the crop has totally failed : it is not so on the wolds. As considerable 
doubts have been expressed that turnips grown on wold soils with only 
the above small amount of inorganic matter would prove defective, I have 
been accurate in ascertaining the nutritive value of a crop of mine 
grown with it ; and I find that in this present month (December, 
1847) 240 sheep folded on the land consumed 1 acre of turnips in 
seven days." 
This compound J then, promises to be a very important adjunct 
to the turnip culture of the Wolds. 
Very great attention is paid by the turnip-growers to the period 
of hoeing. It is customary to let this operation by the acre : 3s. 
6c?. per acre has been the average charge of late years for finishing 
the job. The labourer who undertakes it performs the work by 
using a 9-inch hoe himself, and is followed by a child of 10 or 12 
years old to single out the plant. If the farmer should not find 
it convenient to let the whole crop, then women are employed for 
the purpose, and it is thought that they are more adroit at this 
work than men : their wages, when so employed, are usually 1*. 
per day. Previous to hoeing, the use of the one-horse scuffler is 
needed, not only to extirpate surface-weeds, but to aid the opera- 
tion of hand-hoeing ; and before the turnip-leaf is much expanded, 
it is always thought desirable to run the scuffler through the rows 
once again. 
Where it is intended that wheat should succeed turnips, a prac- 
tice which is becoming general here, it is necessary that they 
should be eaten by sheep as soon as they have attained even a 
reasonable maturity. In such cases the red Tankard, being a 
variety of quick growth, is often selected for a crop. The old 
adage in reference to turnips (not swedes), that they should be 
sown astride the longest day, is then disregarded, and the seed is 
put into the ground not much later than at swede seed-time, viz. 
any time after the 20th of May. 
From the 10th to the 20th of October is the time when the 
ewes are put to the ram, and long experience has proved that the 
prolific qualities of sheep are increased by their being fed upon 
succulent food during this period. Rape is preferred for this 
purpose where it can be grown ; but where this cannot be, it is 
the custom to put the ewes and ram together upon the turnip-crop 
at this time. 
On some of the large farms of this district the practice of 
