192 Appendix. 



Coichorn turnips crimson clover and rye seeded at 41^ pounds, 14 pounds, 

 and 90 pounds per acre, respectively, were tested together. The clover and rye 

 were killed out by the turnips and the record of the crop is about the same as 

 that mentioned above in the first combination. This combination would succeed 

 better by using less seed, about 8 ounces of turnips. 8 pounds of clover and 20 

 pounds of rye per acre. 



Cotchorn turnips, dwarf Essex rape and crimson clover. These were seeded 

 as follows, turnips 31^ pounds, rape 31/^ pounds, clover 11 1/, pounds to the acre. 

 Although the turnips and rape had an even start, tlie turnips were soon van- 

 quished by the ranker growing rape. The clover did not even attempt to com- 

 pete with its rivals. The rape had made a heavy growth of 1 to li^ feet 

 by September 1. About 6 inches more growth was made before winter. This 

 made a good protection until past midwinter. In the spring a few plants 

 started growth and sent up seed stalks, but there were not enough to make a 

 fair covering. It is not desirable to use the turnips and rape together. 



Coichorn turnips and crimson clover. — These were used together at the rate 

 of 5% pounds of turnip seed and I814 pounds of clover seed per acre. Here 

 is the same story of the turnips choking out the clover. The turnips were so 

 crowded that they made unsatisfactory growth. Some of the foliage was 1 foot 

 high, but the fleshy roots were small and stunted. This combination is ideal on 

 ground that is pretty well supplied with humus and nitrogen, and probably noth- 

 ing better could be remembered. About 12 ounces of turnip seed and 10 pounds 

 of clover seed per acre will be sufficient. 



COWHOKN TURNIP .\S A SOIL IMPROVER. 



This turnip may well be called a potash plant from the large amount of 

 potash it contains. The yield is something astounding, being 11.297 pounds of 

 tops and 20,522 pounds of roots, a total of 31,819 pounds, or 15% tons of veg- 

 etable matter per acre. As shown in table I, this material contained 109.5 

 pounds of nitrogen, 142.6 pounds of potash and 26 pounds of phosphoric acid. Coin- 

 pared with crimson clover the turnips contain 03 per cent more potash tlian does, the 

 clover, although it contains less nitrogen and phosphoric acid. The leaves are twice as 

 rich in potash pound for pound as are the roots. The objection to turnips is 

 that the plants do not survive the winter. The foliage is killed by hard frosts 

 early in the winter and soon decomposes. The roots decay rapidly, except 

 the skeleton of tough fibrous mater. It is quite probable that part of the plant 

 food of this crop escapes from the bare soil when no other crop is put in with 

 the turnips. It is economy as well as good management to use some winter- 

 surviving crop like clover or vetch with them. If it is desired to use part of 

 the roots for stock food, this may be done without Impoverishing the land, 

 if the stable manure is applied to the part from which the turnips are taken. 



Dwarf Essex rape (Brassica Napus, L) .■ — Seed sown at the rate of 11 V-: 

 pounds per acre gave a good stand. It had attained a height of from 2 to 2i/> 

 feet by November 1. The rape is a vigorous grower and will stand considerable 

 frost without much injury. During December the plants "go down" and soon 

 decay, except the roots, many of which live over winter. After midwinter, the 

 rape does not protect tlie ground mucli ; it disintegrates and disappears. The 

 old roots start growth early in the spring and where enough of them sur- 

 vive the winter, will aid in taking up the surplus moisture from the soil early 

 in the spring. They usually go to seed in April. About 9 to 10 pounds of 

 seed are sufficient for an acre. Chemical analysis of rape shows it to be richer 

 in total amount of plant food than crimson clover. It has nearly as much 

 nitrogen, almost twice as much potnsh and more than two-thirds as mucli pho.s- 

 phoric acid as lias the clover. Compared witli cowhorn turnips, it has 18 per 

 cent more nitrogen, 13 per cent more potash and 80 per cent more phosphoric 

 acid (see table I). Its total yield per acre was 20,020 pounds of green tops 

 and 804 pounds of air-dry roots. 



