Vegetables with Edible Tubers or Roots 269 



In a hot climate they often become strong-tasting. The 

 varieties used in Europe for forcing under glass in winter 

 are said to do well in tropical climates, and plants grown 

 from acclimated seed have been found to give best results. 

 In subtropical countries turnips are grown in the fall, 

 winter, and spring. 



This crop is so easily grown that it is scarcely necessary 

 to discuss it from that point of view, yet it is not appre- 

 ciated as it ought to be. Turnips cannot be recommended 

 as a crop to be shipped to distant markets in large 

 quantities, but the local markets and southern cities will 

 use a considerable quantity, and the northern markets 

 take bunched turnips packed with ice in the winter. 



Soil and preparation. 



Newly prepared, or what is often called raw land, will 

 raise a crop, if it is not too badly stocked with weeds. 

 Muckland, or land containing much nitrogenous matter, 

 should be avoided, except in cases where the product 

 is to be used for stock feed. Wet or soggy land will not 

 raise a crop, but on the whole this crop has a much 

 wider range in the matter of soil and moisture than most 

 of the cultivated plants. 



About the same amounts and kind of fertilizer that are 

 recommended for radish should be used for turnips. 



If the land is heavy or inclined to be hard, it should be 

 plowed deeply, but a light loam will need only a slight 

 amount of stirring. 



Planting and cultivating. 



Turnip seeds are best sown with a seed drill. They may 

 be sown by hand, but this is not satisfactory. A tin 



