Hilary's father won it near half a century since in some heats that were run on the Downs on the old racecourse, before it was ploughed up.

For the wicked turnip is responsible for the destruction of old England; far more so than the steam-engine.
Waste lands all glorious with golden blossoming furze, with purple foxglove, or curious orchis hiding in stray corners; wild moor-like lands, beautiful with heaths and honey-bottle; grand stretches of sloping downs where the hares hid in the grass, and where all the horses in the kingdom might gallop at their will; these have been overthrown with the plough because of the turnip.

As the root crops came in, the rage began for thinning the hedges and grubbing the double mounds and killing the young timber, besides putting in the drains and driving away the wild-ducks.

The wicked turnip put diamonds on the fingers of the farmer's wife, and presently raised his rent.
But now some of the land is getting 'turnip-sick,' the roots come stringy and small and useless, so that many let it 'vall down.' After the last crop it is left alone, the couch grows, the docks spread out from the hedges, every species of weed starts up, till by-and-by the ploughed land becomes green and is called pasture.

This is a process going on at the present moment, and to which owners of land should see without delay.