158 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the principal objections we find to many of these crops — the 

 labor required in handling them. 



I want to say a few words in regard to the common English 

 turnip. I think those who are inclined to go into the cultiva- 

 tion of roots may very well begin with this ; and I am sure they 

 might manage it in such a way as to involve very little labor or 

 expense. I know very well it is one of the least valuable of all 

 our crops ; but then, again, it is the one most easily raised. A 

 piece of sward land, after the grass is taken off, may be turned 

 over, and three or four hundred pounds of phosphate appliqd in 

 the drill. I would not sow broadcast ; I do not consider that 

 the best way. I would drill in the seed, and put this super- 

 phosphate as near as I could in contact with it. I have found 

 that almost a sure way of raising turnips. I never have failed 

 to raise them. It seems to me just as sure an operation as any 

 other farm operation we can undertake. This last season I had 

 a small patch of onions, which, because I had no manuro for 

 the piece at all — starting a new place entirely — I manured with 

 superphosphate. I spread it on in pretty large quantities broad- 

 cast, and put it in the drill also, and sowed my seed. The 

 onion crop did not do very well on account of the ravages of 

 the worms and maggots, and about the last of July I went on 

 to the field and sowed a few turnip seed. The ground had been 

 cleaned up so thoroughly that no weeds of any consequence 

 grew afterwards, and I had as fine a crop of turnips as 1 ever 

 raised in my life — very large, very fine, and very sweet. I have 

 done the same thing before, and have got at the rate of five 

 or six hundred bushels to the acre. All the labor there was 

 about it was sowing the seed and gathering the crop, very littlo 

 more than it would be to go into the field and mow grass for 

 vour cows and cart it to the barn. 



As I said before, I have nothing new to say upon this subject. 

 What I have said is merely by way of opening the discussion. 

 Other gentlemen arc much better able to carry it on than I am. 



Mr. Perkins. I wish the gentleman would tell us what time 

 he put in the ruta-bagas, and when they commenced rotting. 



Mr. Huntington. I planted them about the twentieth of 

 June. I managed the crop just as I always had, and have no 

 means at all of judging why it operated as it did. And with 

 me it grew worse and worse. The first year the crop was very 



