286 Eeport on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1872. 
departed from it is mainly to leave the land a year or two 
longer in grass ; for here, as in most situations, the land is apt to 
become clover-sick, and an extension of the course of cropping 
lessens this tendency. 
Roots. — There is no material difference in the preparation 
of the land for mangolds, swedes, and common white turnips. 
In the autumn, as soon as may be convenient after harvest, 
the stubbles are scarified or broad-shared, twice if necessary, 
well harrowed, and, there being seldom anything to gather off, 
left flat until November. As great a breadth of the mangold 
ground as there is manure for is then covered with farmyard 
dung, and ploughed about five inches deep. In March it is 
harrowed, cross-ploughed, harrowed again, rolled, and left for 
sowing. About the middle of April, if the weather permit, the 
land is set up in drills 26 to 27 inches apart, the portion left short 
in autumn being manured now, in the drills, at the rate of about 
30 tons of good rotten dung to the acre, and the whole receives, 
besides, a dressing of 4 cwts. of dissolved bones or mangold 
manure per acre, sown by broadcast drill after the manure is 
spread. The drills are then split up, and sown two at a time. 
Mr. Powell prefers a mixture of the long mammoth red mangold 
and the yellow globe (4 lbs. of the seed of the former to 2 lbs. of 
the latter per acre) as being convenient in storing, the long roots 
forming the walls of the store-heap, while the round bulbs fill 
up the centre. At our visit, on the 14th of June, 8 acres of 
mangolds were looking extremely promising, and were being 
stitch-harrowed, 2 rows at a time, by a very neat and easily- 
worked implement, made by Smith, of Kettering. The plants 
were being well hoed, and singled to a distance of 13 or 14 in., 
at a cost of 7s, per acre, a second operation being usually done 
for another 4s, The weight expected per acre is 40 tons. The 
crop is stored at the end of October or beginning of November, 
the fangs and roots being left on, and the top not too closely 
cut. They are pulled and laid in rows of four drills each for 5s. 
per acre, and are never allowed to remain uncovered over night. 
The land for swedes is treated in much the same way as that 
for mangolds. 15 to 20 tons of dung are applied per acre (in 
the drills preferred), and 4 to 5 cwts, of artificial manures sown 
broadcast. The kinds most in favour are Sutton's Champion 
and Wheeler's Imperial, sown about the second week in May. 
The weight generally grown per acre is 20 to 25 tons, or in a 
very favourable season 30 tons per acre. These are all pulled in 
November, one-third or one-half, according to the condition of 
the land, being carted home for the use of the cattle-stock, while 
the remainder are pitted in the field, in heaps of half a cartload 
each, and covered with three inches of soil. 
