j^22 On the Culture and Vfe of Rut a Baga. Nov. 



got into the yard, and feveral of the turnip were bitten by them. 

 I fuppofed thefe would have been immediately deftroyed by the 

 froil:. It was not fo. They brought feed ; and I had a large 

 quantity fuller and better than any turnip feed I had feen of any 

 kind. I gave away ibme, fold 20 lib. weight to my feedfman at 

 Dumfries, and kept what ferved me for two or three years. I found 

 it might be railed with more certainty than any other feed, the root 

 not being afFt(^ed by the froll, which is often fo deftrudive to 

 other turnip kept for feed ; and, the feed ripening later, it was 

 not fo fubje^t to the depredation of fmall birds, who feize fa 

 greedily upon all early feeds. 



From the year 1 796, I had above one acre in the field, and, 

 for the la ft four or five years, have had from two to four acres. 

 I had them' fown in the common way, with the drill plough, 

 and the land prepared and managed in all refpe^ts as for other tur- 

 nip, exceptini; that the feed was earlier fown. I found It neceflary, 

 for brin^;ing them to the beft fize, that they ftiould be in the ground 

 the laft week of May or firft week of June, as I live in an inland 

 part of the country, about fourteen miles from the fea. In a 

 lower climate they might be fown later, but in a higher climate 

 they ought to be earlier. Having heard, feveral years fince, that 

 they might be raifed of greater fize, and more certainly, by tranf- 

 planting, like cabbagC; from the feed-bed, I tried it, as I thought, 

 fairly. They did not even grow fo regularly large ; they were at- 

 tended with more labour ; and I faw that, in a dry feafon, they 

 might be kept too far back, and allowed to grow too large in the 

 feed-bed before a feafonable time was got for tranfplanting. 



I notice, in the paper I have mentioned, that one of the great 

 objections to this turnip is, the plants running to feed. I have 

 never found that fault. So far as I recollect, not one turnip in 

 an acre has run to feed with me. At all events, I am fure 

 that more have not done fo than of common turnip, otherwife that 

 I would have obferved it Whether this has been owing to the time 

 or manner of fowing being different, or their being different kinds 

 of feed, I will not venture to fay. The latter, I think, is moil 

 probable, as I have heard no perfon make the complaint who ufes 

 the fame kind of feed that I have done. 



I notice alfo a doubt expreffed as to the quantities grown of 

 this turnip having incrcafcd for fome years pait. This may be the 

 cafe in fome counties or diftri(il:s. So far as I have occafion to ob- 

 fcrve, it has certainly gained ground, and is fown to a greater ex- 

 tent than was the cafe a few years ago •, and I have reafon to think 

 the practice has increafed very confiderably further fouth. Differ- 

 ent pcrfons from Chefliire, Nottingham, &c. have told me fo. 

 In tbe London Chronicle, I obferved laft autumn an agricultural 



report, 



