On Wliite Mustard. 
33 
On July 8th and 11th, the whole was sown with white turnips, 
after one ploughing and deep scarifying. The turnips came up 
rather shy, and grew slowly at first, and were not quite a full 
plant, but very good size in bulb. I also sowed four acres of 
white mustard after tares — 2 acres on the 5th, and 2 acres on the 
11th of August, 1845; after one ploughing and sundry harrow- 
ings, and upon a fertile mixed soil, and which I began to feed off 
with sheep on the 10th of October; it being then a very fine 
crop, nearly as high as the hurdles. It is now sown with wheat. 
No. 4. — Application of Crop, whether as a green Manure or to be 
fed off by Sheep. 
As a green manure, 1 regret that the time restricted to sending 
in this Essay will not give me an opportunity to witness the effects 
of its being ploughed in ; although the forthcoming harvest will 
afford me ample and numerous instances of its effects upon barley 
and wheat crops, the latter upon my own farm, the result of which 
I shall be happy to communicate to the Society, should it be de- 
sired. 1 can only say that my present growing crop of wheat, 
after mustard ploughed in, which was sown after tares, presents a 
healthy and luxuriant appearance; and where wheat was sown 
after mustard, folded off by sheep, in October last (as before 
mentioned the fulness of plant and healthy appearance far ex- 
ceed, at present, wheat put in rather earlier upon a clover-layer 
and sheep-folded. 
For sheep, mustard is a healthy food ; but, of course, like all 
other succulent vegetables, should be given sparingly at first, and 
if in conjunction with some other food during the first few days, 
all the better : but I never heard of a sheep dying from eating 
it, its pungent quality probably assisting digestion. It is in its 
greatest perfection for eating just before it comes into blossom, 
but as its progress towards flowering is so rapid, it is advisable to 
begin stocking it several days or a week before it is in this state, 
otherwise it will become too old and sticky. It is also better 
sown in successions, about twice a- week, accordmg to the number 
of sheep it is required for. Although bulky in appearance, there 
is not above half the wear in it that there is in a good crop of cole ; 
but it may be sown to come into use at a time when flock-masters 
are put to much inconvenience to provide for their sheep : and if 
sown upon a clean fallow in the latter part of April or beginning 
of May, a fair crop of white turnips may succeed it ; but where a 
bulky crop of turnips is of indispensable importance, I cannot re- 
commend, from the experience of both myself and others, its cul- 
ture as an intermediate green crop. 
Upon turnip-soils, where a portion of the fallows are obliged 
to be sown with tares for the support of the teams or the flock, 
VOL. VII. D 
