Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1872. 295 
very light ploughing, followed by scarifying and harrowing, 
immediately after harvest. Should any couch appear, which is 
seldom the case, it is picked off, and the land then left quiet 
a few weeks to grow out the annual weeds. In November, or 
before Christmas, if possible, a deep ploughing (of 10 inches) 
is given where the land will bear it, and the ground left in 
furrow during the remainder of the winter. In March, if the 
season admits of it, the fallow-land is well harrowed, scarified, 
harrowed again, hand-picked, if necessary, and left for sowing. 
Mangolds are not sown in large quantity, from four to five acres, 
when a good crop, generally meeting the spring demands of the 
cattle and sheep. Yellow Globe, sown on 25-inch drills, and 
singled out 15 inches apart, are found to answer best. Besides 
artificial manures, a copious dressing of farmyard-dung is usually 
given. This year, however, owing to the heavy and incessant 
rains, the yard-manure could not be got on the land ; but, the 
plot being already in good heart, it is expected that the heavy 
dose of mangold-manure (11 cwts. per acre) will produce an 
abundant crop. The first hoeing and thinning costs 65. per 
acre, while the second going through, usually done by the same 
persons, requires a further sum of 3s. 6(/. The produce of an 
acre is seldom under 35 tons, and the crop is stored at the end 
of October. The mangolds are first trimmed, as they stand, 
with a reaping-hook ; they are then pulled, the soil shaken off, 
but no roots removed, and afterwards carted. The heaps, which 
are made in the meadows, orchard, rick-yard, or poorer grass 
fields, according to circumstances, are covered, first with a layer 
of straw, then with a few inches of soil, and, lastly, with a 
neat coating of thatch; and in this way the bulbs are pre- 
served fresh and juicy until after midsummer. The mangold- 
ground, we must not omit to mention, is compensated for the 
removal of the entire crop by bringing back on to it, for con- 
sumption by cake-eating sheep, a goodly quantity of swedes. 
Swedes are mostly sown towards the end of May, or early in 
June, on 24 to 26-inch drills, and thinned to a distance of 13 or 
14 inches. From 16 to 18 single-horse cart-loads of dung are 
spread (at a cost of 2s. Qd. an acre) in the rows, and 5 to 6 cwts. 
of dissolved bones and mineral superphosphate (two-thirds of 
the former and one of the latter) are sown broadcast over it. 
Skirving's Purple-top variety is found to be the best, and from 
3 to 3| lbs. of seed per acre insure a good plant. Growing, as 
they do here, until the end of November, swedes are seldom 
drawn off before December. They are then all pulled and 
cleaned, at a cost of 8s. Gd. per acre, one-third being either 
taken home for the use of the cattle, or pitted in grass fields, 
or on the mangold-ground for consumption by sheep. That 
