[ '39 1 



their growth ; and the autumn, for reaping, gather- 

 ing and harvefting the fame. The farmer, how- 

 ever, in the cultivation of turnips, is obliged to 

 depart from thofe eftablifhed laws of nature, to 

 accommodate the crop to his own convenience. 

 The great ufe of turnips as food for fheep and 

 cattle, is to fupply the deficiency of grafs and herb- 

 age at a feafon of the year when little of thefe are 

 to be got ; and that turnips may be in perfection 

 at a time they become moft ufeful, the farmer is 

 obliged to poftpone fowing them at lead three 

 months beyond the time that would be moft fea- 

 fonable, that is, moft favourable to their vegetation. 

 For inftance, were turnips to be fown in March 

 or April, as the feafon might prove moft favourable, 

 there would be, I conceive, as great a certainty of 

 a crop, as of any other vegetable ufually fown in 

 thofe months: but the farmer, for the reafon be- 

 fore given, being obliged to defer it till the hotteft 

 feafon of the year comes on, his fuccefs becomes 

 exceedingly precarious, unlefs he is Co fortunate as 

 to have a few rainy days, or cloudy weather and 

 frequent .mowers, foon after the feed is in the 

 ground. This I conceive is the true and only rea- 

 fon why the turnip is a more uncertain article than 

 thofe which are fown in due feafon. 



If 



