194 
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
another light dressing of fine manure put on and worked in 
with a gang plow about three inches deep. It was then har¬ 
rowed, and the seed immediately sown. The seed proving 
bad, I gang-plowed the land again and sowed new seed. This 
time the seed came up beautifully, but was soon destroyed by 
the turnip fly, when as a last .resort, I gang-plowed it again, 
sowed the common purplp-top turnip, and had the result 
stated. On account of the frequent gang-plowing by which 
the weeds were destroyed, we had no trouble but to thin out 
the plants. Part of the seed was put in with a large seed 
planter, and part sowed broadcast, and in thinning the plants 
where the seed was put in with the planter, the work could be 
done in one-half the time that was required where the seed 
was sown broadcast. 
With regard to the value of roots for feeding, my experience 
is that whenever they are worth at home more than seventy- 
five cents per barrel, and corn not over from one dollar to one 
dollar and twenty-five cents per bushel, the corn is the cheap¬ 
est, and I would use only a few roots as a substitute for green 
food. I consider Carrots and ruta bagas-better than common 
turnips; still, by feeding a little more of the latter than the 
former, I think the sheep do just as well on them. 
Another inquiry is, “ How often do you clean out your 
yards and stables in winter?” Not at all, unless I perceive 
danger to the buildings from the weight of the sheep and ma¬ 
nure on these upper floors ; then we remove a quantity suffi¬ 
cient to make the building safe, and leave all the rest until the 
sheep are sold, when we find the manure so hard and solid 
that it must often be cut with an axe or hay-knife into blocks 
before it can be handled—thus showing that no decomposition 
has taken place during the feeding season. 
Feeding with me is always commenced about half-past five 
ill the morning, when I always endeavor to be there, and see 
that everything is right, and give special orders, if necessary, 
for the day. The best help will sometimes put off for to-mor¬ 
row what should be done to-day, and this is worse in stock¬ 
feeding than in any other business. 
