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XVII. — On the Growth of White Mustard as a Green Crop for 
Sheep. By John Gray, Agent of F. D. Dickinson, M.P. 
To Ph. Pusey, Esq. 
Dear Sir, — At the request of Mr. Graburn, I have much plea- 
sure in sending you an account of our mustard crop, and also a 
specimen of the plant in the state that the sheep are now feeding 
it. The land on which it is growing is a thin stone-brash, and 
very poor. It had been manured, for turnips and rape, at the rate 
of 30 loads an acre, with compost, consisting of two-thirds lime 
and one-third road-earth : and, on the 10th of July, the turnip 
and rape-seed was drilled in with 80 bushels of ashes an acre. 
It came up slowly; and, with very few exceptions, was taken off 
by the fly. On the '28ih of August I sowed 12 lbs. of white mus- 
tard-seed an acre, harrowingr in the same : it was slow in coming 
up, from the dryness of the land; indeed, at onetime I despaired 
of a crop, but when the rain fell it grew prodigiously ; and on the 
1 1th day of October I commenced feeding it. On an average it was 
then 2 feet high, and very thick in the ground ; you will judge, from 
the specimen sent, of its present height — above 30 inches. I con- 
sider it a valuable artificial in sheep husbandry, and particularly 
so when turnips or rape fail ; and, from its rapid growth, two, or 
even three, crops may be taken and fed off in the season. From its 
great succulency, some care is required in feeding it off. Our sheep 
are doing well upon it; but I find they make better work, having 
an outlet every day on their walk, than when they were wholly con- 
fined upon it. Four hundred consume about a quarter of an acre 
a-day, or thereabouts. One of Mr. Dickinson's tenants grew a 
most excellent piece of mustard last autumn, on some very heavy 
clay land, and without manure : his sheep being badly managed 
when feeding it off, he ploughed in a considerable quantity for 
his wheat, of which he had a splendid crop, and certainly the best 
he grew last season. I mention this circumstance, believing it 
may be grown with success on either heavy or light soils. I was 
led to suppose it might be greatly affected by frosts, but we have 
experienced sufficient to destroy the potato-haulm and the dahlias, 
yet it has not in the slightest degree affected the mustard ; i there- 
fore conclude it must be severe to destroy it. The seed cost 
14s. 6c/. per bushel, and weighed about 50 lbs. per bushel. 
I remain, my dear Sir, 
Yours very truly, 
John Gray. 
Kinyweston, Somersetshire, 
Nov. 23, 1844. 
