Farming  of  Gloucestershire. 
137 
The  preparation  of  the  land  in  old  sainfoin  and  seeds  is,  to 
commence  paring  the  sainfoin  (this,  having  the  strongest  sward,  is 
not  so  liable  to  be  lost  as  younger  seeds  would  be  if  ploughed  too 
early)  in  January  or  February,  following  on  with  the  seeds  and 
stubbles.  It  is  considered  important  to  burn  as  much  as  possible 
for  the  turnip  crop  ; some,  therefore,  rist-baulk  or  half-plough 
their  sainfoin  ley.  In  a month  or  so  the  breast-plougliers  follow 
and  pare  off  the  furrow  that  is  left,  or  it  is  sometimes  torn  off  by 
the  scarifier,  taken  across  the  baulks.  A large  quantity  of  sods 
to  burn  is  thus  procured,  and  a good  coat  of  ashes  the  result, 
which  are  almost  sure  to  produce  a good  crop  of  turnips  without 
any  other  dressing.  After  the  ashes  are  spread  the  land  is  again 
list-baulked  or  ploughed  clean,  very  light,  well  dragged  and 
harrowed  ; and,  if  time  will  permit,  the  land  is  again  ploughed  as 
shallow  as  possible.  When  seeds  are  followed  by  turnips  the 
land  is  breast-ploughed  and  the  sods  burnt.  If  the  land  is  free 
from  couch-grass,  &c.,  as  it  ought  to  be,  the  ashes  are  spread  and 
one  light  ploughing  performed,  which  is  often  sufficient.  Should 
manure  be  applied,  it  will  be  ploughed  in  with  the  ashes,  but  it  is 
not  often  that  manure  can  be  spared  for  the  purpose.  The  land  is 
then  rolled  down  and  harrowed.  I have  found  the  Norwegian 
harrow  superior  to  any  other  implement  for  this  purpose.  It 
pulverizes  the  furrow  without  pulling  it  out  of  place.  The  land 
is  then  again  rolled  down,  and  the  seed  drilled  with  some  of  the 
ashes.  Some  think  that  sowing  broadcast  is  best  after  burning, 
observing  that  the  turnips  will  find  out  where  the  ashes  are  abun- 
dant better  than  when  drilled,  and  consequently  grow  away  faster 
at  first,  but  the  seed  may  in  fact  be  better  supplied  with  ashes 
if  both  are  drilled  together. 
Turnip-hoeing  is  generally  done  by  the  acre.  From  2 s.  6 d. 
to  3s.  6d.  is  given  for  singling  out  on  the  ridge,  and  from  7s.  6 d. 
to  12s.  for  hoeing  twice  over,  drilled  on  the  flat  or  sown  broad- 
cast : but  Gloucestershire  is  not  celebrated  for  good  turnip- 
hoeing.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  hoeing  turnips  on  the  Cots- 
wokls  sometimes  apparently  does  mischief.  The  best  piece  of 
turnips  that  I witnessed  in  my  excursions  over  the  county  last 
autumn  had  not  (in  November)  been  hoed  at  all.  1 also 
observed  that  those  who  cultivated  the  best  and  hoed  the  most, 
lost  their  entire  crop  by  grub  and  wireworm.  The  anomaly 
here  mentioned  is  by  no  means  unusual  on  the  dead  soil  of  the 
Cotswolds. 
Mangold  and  carrots  are  not  planted  to  any  great  extent  in 
these  districts,  but  the  quantity  of  mangold  is  increasing  every 
year.  It  is  found  a more  certain  crop  than  turnips  are  in  dry- 
seasons.  Mangold  is  either  drilled  or  dibbled,  with  4 or  5 lbs. 
of  seed  per  acre.  Farm-yard  manure  is  always  applied.  The 
