1G2 
Farming  of  Gloucestershire. 
it.  Sheep  manure  is  very  genial  for  wheat;  and  in  down  counties, 
with  a Southdown  flock,  we  most  assured!  v should  recommend  its 
continuance.  A coat  of  sheep’s  dung,  half  an  inch  thick  all  over 
a hundred  acres  of  down  pasture,  would  not  be  a tenth  part  so 
profitable  as  on  the  same  extent  of  wheat  land.  In  parts  where 
downs  are  found  not  worth  breaking  up,  this  practice  will  be  con- 
tinued, and  we  say  properly  so. 
The  management  of  the  turnip  land  and  the  turnip  crop 
becomes  a peculiarity  on  account  of  the  necessity  of  having  the 
land  firm,  although  mellow  and  healthy  underneath.  Drilling 
turnips  on  the  back  of  land  ploughed  up  from  seeds  is  practised. 
I have  mentioned  this  to  farmers  who  would  scarcely  believe  it. 
I know  where  turnips  are  now  growing  on  land  which  had  had 
vetches  fed  off  in  rather  wet  weather.  It  ploughed  up  raw,  and 
to  appearance  unkind  for  turnips.  On  another  portion  of  the 
field  the  vetches  were  fed  off  in  dry  weather,  and  the  land 
ploughed  up  mellow  afterwards.  The  whole  field  was  left  for 
some  time  after  it  had  been  ploughed  and  became  thoroughly 
sunned.  When  rain  came  it  was  harrowed  and  drilled.  There 
are  turnips  where  the  land  had  been  trodden  by  the  sheep  in  the 
wet ; but  none  on  the  other.  The  reason  I will  not  attempt  to 
explain  ; it  is  a fact,  and  has  its  foundation  in  the  peculiarity  of 
our  soil.  We  could  mention  many  facts  in  support  of  this  kind 
of  management,  although  contrary  to  the  far-famed  Norfolk  and 
northern  practices,  where  the  grand  essential  to  secure  a good 
crop  is  a deeply  pulverized  soil,  but  which,  as  has  been  before 
mentioned,  failed  to  produce  a crop  here,  in  one  of  the  best  turnip 
seasons  which  we  have  experienced  for  several  years.  In  1846 
the  poorest,  thinnest  piece  on  the  same  farm  was  sown  with 
turnips,  and  cultivated  thus: — The  land  was  seeds  in  1845;  in 
the  spring  of  1846  it  was  breast-ploughed  and  burnt,  and  the 
ashes  left  in  heaps  for  some  time  before  being  spread.  The  land 
was  ploughed  rather  thin  (it  could  not  have  been  ploughed  deep 
without  turning  up  the  rock),  and  the  turnips  were  drilled  on  the 
back  of  the  unbroken  furrow , and  rolled  in.  They  came  up  very 
thick,  were  singled  out,  but  not  deeply  hoed  until  the  leaves  covered 
the  ground.  When  hoed,  the  furrows  were  chopped  to  pieces, 
and  the  rubbish  brought  to  the  surface.  The  turnips  grew  beau- 
tifully, and  were  the  best  crop  the  farm  ever  produced. 
The  consumption  of  hay  in  the  fields  during  winter  when  eating 
off  the  turnips  has  long  been  the  practice  of  the  Gloucester- 
shire farmer.  Sainfoin  hay,  clover,  and  seed-hay,  or  hay  from 
meadow  is  used,  as  circumstances  require.  It  is  carried  to  the 
turnip  field  in  the  hay-making  season,  and  ricked  in  the  most  con- 
venient place  ; and  when  the  turnips  are  eaten  off,  the  rick  is  cut 
and  carried  to  the  fold,  and  placed  in  racks  for  the  sheep.  About 
