On the Farming of Essex. 
41 
drawn out to enable the manure to be carted on without injuring the 
form of the ridge. After the manure is carted on, at the rate of 16 
loads of 40 bushels ench, the ridges are then ploughed by four furrows, 
leaving a small baulk in the centre so as to divide the ridge into two 
spaces for the manure, which from being partially decomposed is easily 
spread in this double furrow ; the land is then ploughed at four furrows 
to each ridge, and the manure being covered in, is rolled and harrowed, 
and is again rolled with a light roller. The turnips are then drilled — 
two rows upon each ridge 1 1 inches apart, at the rate of 4 pints to the 
acre, thus standing at alternate spaces of 11 inches and 26 inches be- 
tween the rows. As soon as the turnips appear, they are singled out by 
boys and women at 15 inches apart, and are left standing diagonally 
with each other; they are then carefully and deeply hoed with a heavy 
hoe, and the furrows are kept clean with the horse-hoe, but tlie turni])s 
are invariabh set out by hand and never by the hoe, the deep hoeing thax 
is given being considered a main point in the system over and above that 
pursued with the common light turnip-hoe : and the singling by hand 
is assisted by a small measured stick 15 inches in length, enabling the 
children employed to set the turnips out regularly and diagonally, so 
that when finished they stand thus 
In the months of November and December the turnips are all pulled, 
avoiding the use of hooks or cutting instruments for trimming them, 
merely wTinging off the tops and dislodging the greater portion of the 
earth attached to the fibres without cutting them. The turnips are then 
carted to the respective fields where they will be required for winter 
use, and one moiety of them is left in the field for using there ; those 
left are put into heaps of about 40 bushels each, are thatched over with 
straw, and the earth shovelled up and placed round the heaps to the 
top, which ends in a point. Those taken from the field are carted to 
the headlands of other fields where they will be required, which are 
principally those upon which wheat was grown in the preceding year 
after clover. The old hurdles used for folding are then selected for this 
purpose ; one is placed first at the end across the space to be occupied 
by the turnips, and two more are put at right angles, forming a space 
made by the double row of hurdles, in which the turnips are placed, 
taking care to cart them when dry, and adding more hurdles lengthwise 
until sufficient space is obtained, and the turnips are disposed of in rows 
about 1 feet wide and 4 feet in height. The turnips are then protected 
"by the earth being dug up and placed on both sides, leaving air-holes at 
about 4 or 5 feet distance, level with the surface of the land, which may 
be formed as the work proceeds by introducing small faggots tied 
loosely, or by any other mode, leaving the sides of the whole open so as 
freely to admit air, and extending across from side to side, which is of 
especial importance towards the preservation of the turnips, as they 
might otherwise get into active fermentation, which when it takes place 
frequently destroys the greater part of them. The top of the heap is 
then covered with barley-straw and thatched, and thus the turnips are 
preserved from injury by frost and game during the most severe wea- 
ther, and will remain in excellent condition until May following, very 
little impaired by keeping. The application of them is by feeding them 
