126* Cultivation of Arabic Land, Turnips Soils ifioft proper for. 



and white topped are generally efteemed more fweet and nutritious than the red 

 topped, which poffefles a degree of bitternefs, and is apt foon to become ftringy. 

 The white topped, on the better kinds of foil, is perhaps the moft proper and ad 

 vantageous; as, while it has the property of being hardy, it grows to a large 

 lize. This and one of the ftone or fmall hard fort are the moft commonly culti 

 vated, and held in the higheft eftimation in fome of the beft turnip diftrids in 

 the northern parts of the kingdom. The latter is fuppofed by fome Northum 

 berland cultivators to ftand the feverity of the winter feafon much better than 

 moft of the other forts ; but that the produce on the acre is confiderably lefs.* 

 And by others it is believed to bulb quicker, have a greater fpecific gravity, 

 a finer grain, a thinner fkin, and to be fmoother in the crown of the bulb, con- 

 fequently lefs liable to injury from wetnefsand fevere froft. And that though it 

 may not grow to quite fo large a lize, that defect may be obviated by leaving 

 the plants a little thicker on the ground at the time of fetting them out by the 

 hoe.f The common white turnip is, however, much cultivated in this as well as 

 inoft of the fouthern diftricts where the turnip hufbandry prevails.^ The green 

 topped turnips have been much recommended by others, both on account of the 

 qualities juit noticed, and their being of a large growth, and continuing long in a 

 Itate fit for ufe.|( Mr. Young advifes the fowing of the great round Norfolk white 

 turnip, which lies above ground, and adheres to it merely by a tap-root. It 

 grows to a larger fize than any of the other forts, and has the valuable property of 

 being capable of being made ufe of in the winter feafon with more eafe and faci 

 lity than thofe which root quite under the ground. The yellow or ftraw-colour- 

 c d turnip is firm and fweet tafted, but has not yet been fo much cultivated as the 

 other varieties, fo that its properties are not fo perfectly known. The red fort was 

 formerly much in efteem by farmers, but has now moftly given way to other forts : 

 3nd the black rooted is very rarely cultivated. The early Dutch is but feldom 

 grown, except in the garden. Where an early crop is required, it might, however, 

 probably be employed with advantage. 



The foils that are moft adapted to the turnip hufbandry are thofe of the light 

 loamy or deep medium fandy kinds j but it may be.pradifed on thofe of a thin, 

 gravelly, or chalky nature, and even on loamy clays, in fome cafes when not too 

 retentive of moiftu re, with advantage, provided proper attention be paid in the 

 preparation and manuring of fuch lands. It is evident, indeed, from the fuccefs- 



* Corrected Agricultural Report of Northumberland, p. 81. 



f Corrected Agricultural Report of the North Riding ofYorkfhire, p. 14(J. 



1 Donaldfon s Modern Agriculture, vol. II. 



jl,, Martyn s Edition of .Millar s Dictionary} art. Brassica Rapa. 



