1804. On Storing up Turnips for Winter Confumptmy ^c 29 j 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMER's MAGAZINE. 



On Storing up Turnips for IVinter Confuniption^ l3fc, 

 SiF, 



If the following thoughts on various fubjedls of rural oeco- 

 nomy, are worthy of notice, they may be inlerted in your Mif- 

 ccllany. 



1. In regard to the floring up of turnips through the winter, 

 let them remain in the ground as long as they will not be hurt by 

 froft. As a very little froft is prejudicial to them when itored 

 up into heaps, more particularly when they get froft after they 

 are topped and tailed, and lying in the ridges, the fure way is to 

 <?arry them from the field immediately. In topping them, do 

 not cut the fkln off the turnips, either on the top or tail. Where 

 the fkin is broke, it always rots firll. When a little of the top 

 is left, it will be more apt to vegetate ; and they are better to 

 grow than rot : But to prevent both is beft, if pofTible, as they 

 then retain more nutritive qualities. The fize of the heaps in 

 "which I find them keep bell, is, the breadth five feet, the height 

 four, tapering from the bottom to the top of the heap : the 

 length of the heap cannot hurt them. 1 have had heaps from 

 15 to 60 feet in length, and found no difference in keeping 

 them equally well. Be fure to keep them on the furface of the 

 ground, as they have there more air, than when partly above 

 and partly below the ground, as I found by experience four years 

 ago. I cover fome of the heaps with divot, caft and winnowed 

 in fummer : the drier they are, fo much the better. Other heaps 

 I cover with ruflies half a foot thick. When the froft fets in, 

 take fome of the rankeft horfe-dung, and put over the rufhes : 

 this preferves them from the fevereft froft that we have in this 

 climate : but I never do fo till the froft is fevere. In this way T 

 have had them as good, to appearance, at the firft of March, as 

 "when taken from the ground, although, undoubtedly, they muft 

 have loft fome of their nutritive qualities. 



2. In regard to Swedilh turnip, I could never buy feed that an- 

 fwered fo well as that which I raifed myfelf ; they always run to 

 runts, and never apple at all. I could never diftinguifh the good 

 feed from the bad ; neither do I believe it poffible to be done 

 by any perion whatever. Sow them three weeks before the 

 common turnip. When the feed is fown for tranfplanting, it 

 niuft be done as foon as the feafon for fmall feeds fets in, or a- 

 bout the time of fowing kail feed in the garden, as then they 

 [^row b;'tter. I always tranfplant a part, and then I have two 



chances. 



