I79«' LITERARY INTELLIGENCER. 39 



Sivedi/I} Turnip, or Ruta Baga, 

 AxOTHER. plant, however, was introduced into Britain about 

 the, fame time, that promifen to be a very valuable article 

 to the farmer. This is a fpecies of turnip that was difcov- 

 ered in Sweden by Linnseus ; but the feeds of it only reach- 

 ed this country of late. It has been fold here by its Swed- 

 ifli name of Ruta Baga ; and fometimes it is called Swedifh. 

 turnip. Its appearance is not the mofl; promjiing. It does 

 not, on ordinary loamy or light foils, grow to fuch a fize as 

 the common kinds ol field turnips ; fcarcely perhaps does it 

 equal in fize the yellow turnip : but it feems to be better 

 adapted to ftrong clay land, and thrives better in damp foils 

 than any other kind of turnip. Its fkin too is very thick, 

 which is rather an unpromifing appearance. Its flelh how- 

 ever, when ufed at taible, is excellent, very much refem- 

 bling that of yellow turnip ; and all kinds of cattle are fin- 

 gularly fond of it. The leaves too, which exaftly refemble 

 thofe of the cole-feed plant, are an exxellent green for the 

 table, but are not nearly fo abundant as thofe of other turnips, 

 though more hardy with refpeft to froll 5 nor have we had 

 any opportunity of yet perceiving that the bulbs are in any 

 'cafe affected byfrolt, or the young plant confumed by the fly. 

 Its excellence however, confifls in two peculiar qualities that 

 it poflefles : one of thefe is that of admitting of being tranf- 

 planted with the fame facility as a common colewort. It 

 may therefore be either cultivated in the ufual way, as 

 turnips, or tranfplanted into the field from a feed bed, as 

 greens, according to circumfl:ances. Experiments fuflicient- 

 ly numerous have been made fully to afcertain this faft be- 

 yond a doubt. 



But the mofl fingular quality of this plant is one that I 

 fliould not mention, becaufe it is fo contrary to the invari- 

 able experience of men in all cafes of a fimilar nature, were 

 it not upon fuch. authority as I confider to be indifputable. 

 It is well known that turnips in general, and all other 

 plants of this genus, when fuffered to run to feed, become 

 dry and flicky 5 and as the feeds ripen, the heart of the bulb 

 \ becomes withered and flirivels up, fo as to leave a dry hol- 

 low ball, when the feeds are perfected. But by the in- 

 formation 1 have received from a gentleman in Norfolk, 

 ■whofe name is well known, and highly refpefted in the li- 



