7804.] On the Quantity 9f Seed,&c. 91
after a two year's layer, and during the winter till the latter art of February, 1 have the Jand in layer, which 4s t0 be EIE up for pease to feed my Sheep upon, which would not be the case, if wheat Succeeded the layer, as 4ben the layer wmust of course be taken up in the autumn. As 1 Said before, I do not invariably adhere to this course, but 1 ever bear in mind this general rale, which 1 will recommend to your correspondent. Keep your land as rich and clean as possible, always appropriate one half of it to raising food for Stock, and never Suffer two corn crops in SUCCeSSION, and last]y never sell hay, Straw, or turnips, bat use them all oa the premises.:
«< A Novice" Says, that I asserted the Superiority of the Norfolk farmers in the cultivation of the turnip crop, but that 1 brought forward no argument in Support ot that assertion. I couid not agree on this Subject against“ Agricola Northum- briensis," as 1 never then had an opportunity of observing the comparative merits of the Norfolk and Northumberland turnip husbandry, and I believe I may Say that my asserlion amounted only to that, which till lately has been generally allowed. 1 am open to convietion. 1 have a very high opinion of the candour and intelligence of your vorthern correspondent, and happy in being able to communicate that, which may be gratitying to bim, though ix geesdirectdy against my assertion. On the land of the firszt farmer in this county, or, 1 Should rather Say, in this Kingdom, we were Shown, on a late public occasion, a Piece of Swedish turnips, part upon broad flat ridges, in the usual manner, except being drilled at about 12 inches intervals, and part ob narrow ridges at about 24 inches intervals. 1 asked whether he did not find that these wide intervals Jes- Sened the produce of the erop, he Said, no; and that on the contrary, he could grow a greater weigat of turnips-per acre by this, than by the tormer method, and that he did not doubt but the Northumberland turnip husbandry would Soon become general in Nortolk. 1 hope 1 Shall not trespass too much on your useful pages, by communicating a piece of husbandry generally practised here, and which 1 am led to do, by Seeing a letter in your Magazine, on“The Method ot converting Weeds,&c. into Manure." My farm is b6/essed with a pretty large portion of meadow land, bounded by a streain, in which we annually cat the zeeds arising therein, at/the time of turnip sowing. Two men, one on each zide, walk along the banks, drawing at the bottom of the ziver a gazg of Scythes, that is, pieces of scythes about two ſeet long, riveted to each other, but s0 as to move upon the rivets, and form a Sort of chain. By pulling this alternately, the weeds,&c. are com- pletely cut, rise to the Surface, and float down the stream till they arrive at a dam, made with herdles,&c. and Situated at
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