Cultivation of Arable Land. Turnips Difcafes of Remedies for. 151 



lar,* we are probably frill too imperfectly acquainted with its natural hhtrry, 

 economy, and habits of life, to direct the moft fpeedy and effectual method of 

 deftroying it. 



Befides the difeafes arifing from thefe caufes, and which affect the leaves of the 

 plants, the turnip is fubject to difeafe in its root. This is a large excrefcence 

 forming itfelf below the apple or bulb, which, after becoming in a ftate of matu 

 rity, takes on the putrid fermentation, and fends forth a moft offcnfive fmeli. It 

 has obtained the title of anbury* In feveral fpecimens examined by Mr. Marfhall, 

 the apples of the turnips were found juft forming, as about the fiz of walnuts in. 

 the fhell, while the anburies were as large as the egg of a goofe, being awkward and 

 irregular in their form, with inferior excrefcences, fomewhat refembling races 

 of ginger, depending from them. On being cut, their general afpect was that of 

 a hard turnip ; but on being examined with more minutenefs by means of a mag 

 nifier, veins or ftring-like vefTels were obferved difperfed through the pulp : the 

 fmell and tafte being in fome refpect fimilar to that of the common turnip, but 

 without its mildnefs, having an auftere difagreeable flavour, approaching to 

 that of an old ftringy turnip. The tops in fuch as were much affected, turned yel 

 low and flagged by the heat of the fun, being eafily diftinguifhable in the day time 

 from the healthy plants. This difeafe has often been afcribed by farmers to the 

 land being too long continued under this fort of crop; but the experience of the 

 author ftrongly oppofes it, as he found the difeafe in turnips taken from land that 

 had probably never borne that fort of crop before. The caufe has, perhaps, not 

 yet been fully inveftigated ; but Mr. Marlhall feems to fufpect it to proceed from 

 the wound or puncture of fome fort of grub in the veffels of the tap-root, by 

 which the courfe of the fap is diverted, and inftead of the natural apple or bulb 

 being formed, this excrefcence takes place. This is further confirmed by the 

 circumftance of the difeafe being much connected with the drynefs of the feafon. 

 The only remedy that can be of much utility in cafes of this kind, is probably that 

 of removing the difeafed plants as foon as poffible, and flirring the earth about 

 thofe that remain, in order to fupply them more abundantly with nourifhment*. 

 But in order to wholly avoid the difeafe in thofe diftricts where it is apt to occur, 

 turnips (hould only be fown on fuch lands as have been fully prepared and well en 

 riched by manure. 



On light thin foils, in dry feafons, the mildew is alfo a difeafe that is fometimes 

 apt to affect turnip crops, and do great injury to the young plants by reftricting 



Marfliall s Rural Economy of Norfolk, vol. II. 



