406 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



The meadow-foxtail, {Alopectirus pratensis), is early, productive, 

 and nutritive, but it does not arrive at perfection so soon as many 



nourished in gardens, and be properly a garden plant, yet are they, to the very 

 great advantage of the husbandman, sown in his fields in several places of England, 

 not only for culinary uses, as about London and other great cities, but also for the 

 food of cattle." Again he says that " in Holland they slice their turnips with the 

 tops and rape-seed cakes, and grains, &c. and therewith make mashes for the cows? 

 and give it them warm, which the cows eat like hogs." He likewise complains of 

 the very great neglect and deficiency of English husbandry in this particular. 



Lord Viscount Townsend appears to have the merit of occasioning their culture 

 to be carried to a great extent in England. His lordship was ambassador to the 

 states-general in 1709, and afterwards retired to Rainham, in Norfolk: in which 

 county the culture of turnips has been brought to the highest state of perfection by 

 Mr. Coke. In most counties in Scotland, the culture of turnips has also arrived at 

 a great height, and appears to be more general than in many parts of England. 

 Sir John Sinclair* informs us, that the seed of the Swedish turnip was first 

 introduced into Scotland in 1781-2, on the recommendation of Mr. Knox, a native 

 of East Lothian, who had settled at Gallowburgh, whence he sent some of the seeds 

 to Dr. Hamilton. 



The culture of the common field-turnip is most advantageous on light or sandy 

 soils ; it enables the farmer to adopt a profitable rotation of crops on such soils as 

 would not otherwise admit of it, nor support live stock during the winter, much less 

 prepare them ready for market, without great expense in the use of hay. The 

 Swedish turnip, or Ruta baga, is equally valuable for heavy soils that are not well 

 fitted for the common field-turnip. 



Manure is essential in the culture of the turnip, which, like all other tuberous or 

 bulbous roots that require it, thrives better with short than long dung. There is no 

 mode of applying it so effectually as that of burying it in the ridges made for the 

 purpose of the drills ; because the dung in this case becomes as it were a hot-bed 

 for the young- plants, encouraging their growth in a high degree, which is of great 

 effect in defeating the attacks of the turnip-fly. The Swedish turnip is a great 

 acquisition to the husbandman for tenacious soils. It is seldom injured by the frost, 

 and though less productive in the average weight of crop, contains much more 

 nutritive matter than the common turnip, as much as 3 to 2. When sown broad- 

 cast, the produce is seldom more than half the weight of that drilled on ridges, 

 though on the same soil. 



The nutritive powers of the difi'erent varieties of turnips, appears to be as 

 follows : — 



64 dr. of the Swedish turnip, or Ruta baga, afford of nutritive matter 110 grains. 

 64 dr. of the stone or garden-turnip - - - - 85 



64 dr. of the common, or white loaf _ _ _ _ 80 



64 dr. of the tankard, or long-rooted - - - - 76 



64 dr. of the Norfolk white turnip - - - - 83 



Tlie quantity of nutritive matter contained in different roots of the same variety, 



* Account of the System of Husbandry in Scotland, &c. by Sir John Sinclair, 

 Bart., Founder of the Board of Agriculture. 



