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Nearly at the same time with Mr Howard, or about theyear 1755, Mr Pringle, near Coldstream in Berwickshire,cultivated turnips in drills, at three feet and a half distance,and likewise drilled his grain crops; following, in both cases,the general principles of Tull’s publication.
At this time William Dawson, Esq. of Graden, an intelli-gent and successful farmer in Roxburghshire, after some resi-dence in the county of Norfolk , where he had attentively studi-ed the system of alternate husbandry, adopted the practice ofMr Pringle, in regard to the cultivation of turnips, in prefe-rence to the mode which he had seen practised in that cele-brated county. Mr Dawson began the drilled turnip hus-bandry in 1764, on an extensive scale, growing nearly 100acres yearly. He ultimately fixed upon thirty inches, as thebest interval for the purpose, after repeated trials both ofbroader and narrower; and his practice has been universallyfollowed in all the border counties.
§ 2 . Scotch system of turnip culture .—Turnips are grownupon all comparatively dry soils, from the poorest sand andgravel, up to the richest free loam ; but are exceedingly aptto fail, on soils that have a tendency towards clay, or wherethe subsoil is at all retentive of moisture, more especially indry seasons: Yet they are every year sown, in greater or lessbreadths, upon soils not physically adapted for their growth 5so great is the anxiety displayed to have a supply of that va-luable succulent winter food for farm-stock.
2 . The land intended for turnips, is ploughed after har-vest, as soon as convenient; and is carefully water-furrowed,to lay it completely dry, if it has the smallest tendency to re-tain wetness. When spring seed work is over, the wholeStrength and energy of the farm is exerted to the utmost, toreduce the turnip break into fine tilth, by repeated plough-ings, harrowings, and rollings ; and the roots of vivaciousweeds, more especially of couch grass, are carefully gatheredinto heaps, and carted off for making composts.