154 



Bulletin 244. 



Flesh 



Keeping quality of "roots" 



Dry matter content 



Average weight of "roots" 

 Size of seed 



TURNIP. 



soft, usually white to yel- 

 low, more often white 



generally poor, should be 

 consumed early in the 

 season 



6 to 10 per cent. 



3 to 12 ounces 



small, 2 to 3 lb. usually 

 sown per acre 



RUTABAGA. 



firmer, white, yellow or 

 orange, more often yel- 

 low 



generally good, can be kept 

 imtil spring 



7 to 12 per cent. 



16 to 50 ounces 



larger and darker in color, 

 4 to 5 lb. usually sown 

 per acre 



The second year both turnips and rutabagas send up a strong stem 

 which bears many branches, bearing heavily of seeds. The leaves pro- 

 duced at this time are generally bluish-green and smooth in both cases. 



Hybrid turnips are said to be the result of a cross between the com- 

 mon turnip and the rutabaga. They may have the characters of either 

 parent, blended in any number of ways. Thus Garton Pioneer has all 

 the appearance of a rutabaga and has its good keeping quality, but grows 

 faster than the rutabaga. The Yellow Aberdeen and the Green-Top 

 Scotch Yellow, both have yellow flesh but rough leaves, and grow com- 

 paratively rapidly. 



All turnips are classified commercially according to their 



1. Shape. 



2. Form of the upper part of the root. 



3. Color of the upper part of the root. 



4. Color of the flesh. 



The shape of turnips: 



The shapes recognized are the long, tankard, round or globe, and flat, 

 but roots possessing every imaginable degree of variation between any 

 two shapes may be found. Some roots taper towards the tap root ; others 

 are fairly uniform in width. The terms smooth, forked and rough are 

 applied in the same way as for mangels. 



The long type is one in which the fleshy root is three or more times 

 as long as broad, as seen in the cowhorn turnip. (Fig. 41.) This type 

 generally tapers toward the tap root. 



