in  its  Effect  on  Cultivation. 
45 
100.  The  Beet-root  (mangold- wurzel)  requires  a warmer  cli- 
mate and  a richer  loamy  soil  than  the  turnip.  It  therefore 
flourishes  remarkably  well  in  the  south-west  of  England.  An 
analysis  of  the  ashes  of  the  beet  shows  that  it  contains  29  per 
cent,  of  chloride  of  sodium,  while  the  turnip  gives  only  8 per 
cent.*  The  saline  particles  lodged  in  the  soil  near  the  sea  (89) 
must  therefore  be  highly  conducive  to  the  growth  of  this  root,  and 
it  is  found  in  such  situations  to  answer  well.  On  the  Barton  of 
Tehidy,  Cornwall,  upwards  of  30  tons  per  acre  were  raised  last 
year,  and  this  not  above  an  average  crop. 
101.  Fodder  plants  grow  with  great  vigour  in  the  humid 
climate  of  the  west.  Vetches  on  light  land  with  a little  guano 
produce  a heavy  crop.  Italian  rye-grass  answers  remarkably 
well,  and  winter-rye  yields  an  enormous  quantity  of  early  fodder 
in  the  spring.  But  no  plant  has  been  introduced  into  the  west 
with  such  marked  success  as  rape  : it  scarcely  ever  fails,  and  forms 
a cheap  and  excellent  preparation  for  wheat.  Red  clover  begins 
to  sicken,  and  a change  is  evidently  desirable. 
102.  Grass. — The  convertible  system  of  husbandry  is  that 
generally  pursued  in  the  south-west  and  north-west  of  England ; 
the  land  is  in  corn  for  two  years,  and  then  laid  down  to  pasture 
for  three.  The  rye-grass  and  clover  the  first  year  is  usually 
heavy,  but  in  the  two  succeeding  years,  the  pasturage,  except  on 
good  soils,  is  not  worth  the  tithes  and  taxes.  The  clover  fails, 
the  rye-grass  runs  to  a hard  stem,  and  the  natural  grasses  have 
not  time  to  gather  strength  to  produce  their  sweet  herbage. 
The  greater  part  of  Ireland  is  admirably  fitted  by  its  climate 
for  a grazing  country.  On  the  natural  pastures  the  verdure  of 
the  turf  continues  all  the  year,  even  on  the  thinnest  limestone  soil, 
and  hay  is  generally  the  product  of  the  natural  grasses.  The 
mountains  also  furnish  much  superior  pasture  to  the  Welsh  or 
Scotch  hills.  And  yet  little  good  grass  on  the  up  and  down  land 
is  raised,  in  consequence  of  the  wretched  system,  and  worse 
culture. 
There  is  nothing  so  desirable  in  the  present  state  of  the  grass 
land  in  the  western  counties  and  Ireland,  as  to  militate  against 
the  introduction  of  a better  system  of  culture.  On  the  contrary, 
the  generally  wretched  state  of  the  grass  land  in  a climate  calcu- 
lated to  produce  an  abundance  of  fodder,  demands  a rotation 
which  would  remedy  the  evil,  and  prevent  the  loss  now  sustained. 
The  rich  grazing  districts  of  Gloucester,  Cheshire,  and  North- 
ampton are  covered  with  a rich  herbage  greatly  superior  to  that 
which  has  been  reviewed.  The  greater  amount  of  heat  and  light 
impart  a deep  green,  and  give  a compactness  of  structure  to  the 
Royal  Agricultural  Society’s  Journal,  vol.  viii.  p.  199. 
