152 Cultivation of Arable Land, Tuniips Di/qafes of Remedies for* 



their growth. The only remedy in this cafe is probably that of properly thinning 

 the plants,and ftirring the earth well about their roots occafionally, by means of the 

 hoe, in order to provide them more fully with nouriihment. Where it occurs in lands 

 of a more retentive quality, advantage may likevvife, perhaps, be obtained, by 

 rendering them drier by deepening the ridge furrows, or fome other fimilar me 

 thod. 



It occafionally happens that turnip plants, infiead of fwelling and forming bulbs, 

 fend off numerous ftringy roots, which foon decay and come to no account.* It- 

 occurs mod generally where the crop is fown on frefli land, and no remedy is faid 

 yet to have been difcovered to prevent it.f More perfect tillage and the ufe of 

 fuch manures as have a tendency to render fuch lands more mellow and friable, 

 may perhaps be beneficial. 



Jt is frequently a practice in many places \vhere turnip crops have been eaten 

 off by the fly, ordeftroyed in any of the ways that have been mentioned, to fovv 

 the fame land over again, and harrow the feed in, without having recourfe to the 

 plough : this, however, is a method that mould feldom or ever be adopted, as in 

 fuch a mode of proceeding there muft constantly be great danger of the plants of 

 the fecond fowing being deftroyed in a fimilar manner. It is perhaps always a 

 better practice either to give the land a fcuffling or a mallow ploughing, by means 

 of a light plough, before fuch fecond fowing is performed, or to leave it entire 

 ly for a crop of wheat, j 



The feafons moft fuitable for turnip crops are thofe in which the weather is warm, 

 with frequent fhowers, but little continued rain. In the autumn and winter pe 

 riods, when frequent changes from frofts to thaws and rain take place, turnips 

 commonly experience great injury, being rendered extremely fubject to decay, 

 and become rotten ; and even fuch as withftand fuch feafons feldom afford a due 

 proportion of nourimment to the ftock that may be fed upon them. 



Rooks, if not prevented, often do confiderable mifchief to turnip crops in 

 the winter time, by picking holes in the bulbs, admitting the wet, and thereby 

 caufing them to decay . 



The produce of turnip crops varies greatly according to the feafon, the nature 

 of the foil, and the method of cultivation that is practifed : but a medium crop, 

 where the foil is good and fuitable for the purpofe, may afford fifteen tons, or 



* This ftate of the turnip plant is often provincially diflinguifhed by the iurmsjingers and toes 



) Corrected Agricultural Report of JLiucolnfliire, p. 136&quot;. 



J Synopfis of Husbandry, p. 146. Ibid, p. 148, 



