20 TURNIP. 



neglected and unchecked, are spots from which the fly comes forth and 

 spreads over the crop ; anything, therefore, that would keep down or 

 destroy these weeds would be a great preventive of fly-attack.* 



Charlock being very hard to get rid of, various plans have been 

 tried with more or less success, such as growing Potatoes after lea, to 

 be followed by Turnips, which allows the weeds to be kept thoroughly 

 down for two years in succession ; but the best means within the 

 ordinary course of cropping is to harrow the stubble immediately after 

 the Corn crop has been removed, to induce the germination of the 

 seeds of all the weeds. The ploughing afterwards (which is postponed 

 as long as possible) will then destroy the first crop. In spring the 

 soil is again worked up, and left for a time, when a second growth is 

 killed by passing a pair of harrows over the ground on a dry sunny 

 day. An implement called a K has also been found serviceable. Here 

 the Charlock is allowed to come into flower, when the implement, 

 with its comb-like teeth, pulls off the flower, or pulls the plant up by 

 the root, and leaves the grain-crop untouched. (G. B.) 



CULTIVATION. 



Methods of cultivation found most suitable for pushing on healthy, rapid 

 growth of the plant, and so carrying it from under power of the fly. 



It is well known that want of moisture is the great promoting 

 cause of injury by the fly. Next to this is a rough, badly-prepared 

 soil in poor manurial condition. 



Autumn cultivation should be aimed at as much as possible. Land 

 intended for Turnips should not require any ploughing in spring, and 

 as little scarifying as possible. A few hundredweights of good artificial 

 manure, applied either before or when the seed is sown, promotes a 

 strong and rapid growth of the braird until it gets into rough leaf, 

 when danger from the " fly " is over. 



After a long experience I never saw a failure of a braird of Turnips 

 on land which had been long and well-prepared before the seed was 

 sown. Good seed and plenty of it, three pounds per acre, drilled 

 deeply from (say) two to three inches, ensures a good start, even in 

 the driest times. 



The application of soot, lime, nitrate of soda, or guano does much 

 to save a crop (although much bitten by the fly) when a suitable rain 

 follows, or when the land has been well moistened by a previous rain. 

 Rapid growth is of course the great aim under any varying circum- 

 stances. (R. V.) 



A finely comminuted soil is of the greatest importance. On strong 

 land autumn cultivation is essential ; such soils, when ploughed 

 immediately before sowing, invariably work cloddy. At this season 



