290 ON THE ECONOMICAL USE OF TURNIPS 



made. Moreover, the indirect benefit derived from the growth and 

 consumption of this crop is not the least valuable feature about 

 it. Not to speak of its influence in cleaning and pulverising the 

 soil, the rich farmyard manure made by cattle fed upon the 

 bulbs at the farm steadings, and the consolidation of the land by 

 the feet and its enrichment by the droppings of the sheep 

 folded upon them, exert a highly beneficial influence upon the 

 soil for several succeeding years. As already indicated, turnip 

 culture is the backbone of agriculture in wide districts of Scot- 

 land. So much is this the case, that if a heavy crop of sound 

 and nutritious bulbs is raised, and if they are consumed under 

 favourable circumstances, it is tacitly taken for granted that the 

 success of the following cereal and hay crops, and even of the 

 pasture during the remainder of the rotation is so well secured, 

 that only the occurrence of one or more bad seasons can prevent 

 this being accomplished. Thus all classes of farmers are deeply 

 interested in this "widely-cultivated root crop. Indeed, it is not 

 too much to say that its comparative failure throughout Xorth 

 Britain in 1879 w^as a much greater calamity, and entailed a 

 heavier pecuniary loss to the farmers generally, than was done 

 by the indifferent cereal crop in the lowlands, and the positively 

 bad one, which was in many instances not reaped at all, in the 

 uplands and upper valleys in that disastrous year. 



The foregoing considerations show the value of the turnip 

 crop since it began to be cultivated on anything like its 

 present \vide dimensions. But we venture to point out that 

 recent events have made this root crop even more important 

 than it was at any previous period of its history. It is the 

 settled conviction of many of the best-informed authorities on 

 agTicultural questions, that one of the best w^eapons w^ith which 

 to contend against the extensive and increasing imports of 

 American beef, is to make large and liberal use of the maize and 

 other feeding stuffs our American cousins send us in ship loads, 

 to assist in the manufacture of beef and mutton at home. Such 

 dry concentrated food can be brought across at a cheaper rate 

 and with less risk in that form than as beef or mutton, and our 

 winter climate is more favourable than that of America for 

 stock-feeding. Consequently we have advantages in bringing 

 stock from a store or lean condition to a fat form, and placing 

 them on the British market, which the United States and 

 Canadian feeders do not possess. Xow, our contention is, that 

 it is the plentifulness of turnips in Scotland which makes this 

 practicable, and indeed comparatively easy of accomplishment. 

 We do not assert that it could not be done without roots, and with 

 nothing but hay and similar dry food of home production ; but 

 •with a plentiful supply of such a cool, moist, and healthy food 

 ;.as turnips, to form the basis as it were for such heating articles 



