24 
On the Farming of Essex, 
wheat edcUsh, the manure, in a green or raw state, is carted on in 
October ; the land is then ploughed once only, and in the spring 
is scarified, and the seed drilled, the same process as in the other 
case being afterwards pursued. 
The system pursued to obtain swede turnips is carried out 
exactly the same upon the heavier soils, the ridge-culture being 
best adapted for that description of root. The ridges, however, 
are narrower, but the process of manuring, &c., is the same: the 
seed, from 2 to 3 pints per acre, is drilled from the first week in 
JNIay to the middle of June ; the more gravelly the soil the later 
the seed is put in. It is especially necessary that the seed should 
be deposited immediately upon the furrows being turned, and the 
moisture secured by a light roller. The latest sown turnips are 
almost invariably the best in quality ; and, provided the land 
is in sufficient tilth and well manured, the first week in June is 
sufficiently early for sowing. The roots are pulled before Christ- 
mas, carted and stored, or are collected in heaps and consumed, 
wholly or in part, upon the land, either by fatting sheep in the 
winter, or by ewes and early lambs in the spring. The customary 
plan is to cart one moiety wherewith to feed stalled or other oxen, 
and to feed the remainder upon the land from troughs, after 
having been sliced, in addition to oil-cake, in quantity of from one 
half to one pound each per day, giving them the oil-cake in the 
morning with some cut chaff, or reserving a part for the night. 
The cost of producing an acre of swede turnips will stand as 
follows : — 
£. s. d. 
Four ploughings, . . . . 1 16 0 
Four hairowings, . • . . 0 3 0 
Once scarified, . . . . . 0 4 0 
One ploughing for manure on ridges, . 0 6 0 
Manuring as before, . . . . 2 14 0 
Labour on ditto, . . . . 10 0 
Ploughing on ridge, . . . • 0 6 0 
Ditto repeated, . . . . 0 6 0 
Hoeing twice, . . • . 0 10 0 
Pulling, 0 6 0 
Carting and storing, . . . . 0 16 0 
£8 7 0 
This appears a large sum ; but the fallowing and cleaning ap- 
ply to the crops through the three succeeding years, from the 
same field, to the growth of which the turnips also conduce in a 
material degree. 
Tlic system of drawing half, and feeding the remainder with 
corn or oil-cake, is decidedly the best management on this soil. 
