ROOT CROPS. 325 



if it is intended for the market. In this latter case the seed-bed 

 need not be planted before June first. If, between the time of 

 planting the seed and setting out the plants in the field, the weather 

 is such that they threaten to grow to too large a size, they should 

 be retransplanted, and their growth in this way checked. Every 

 transplanting of turnips, or any thing else that bears transplanting 

 at all, has the eff'ect of increasing the bushiness of the root, and, 

 ultimately, the stamina of the plant. Perhaps it would pay to sow 

 the seed as early as the first of May, and to transplant twice be- 

 tween that time and the first of August. These earlier trans- 

 plantings are accomplished with very little work, as they are done 

 by the process known as heeling in. A narrow furrow being 

 made with the end of a spade, and the plants set almost touching 

 each other against one side of the furrow, the earth is returned and 

 pressed closely against them with the foot. Each transplanting 

 will check the growth of the leaves for a week or ten days, and 

 during this time the severed roots will establish themselves by 

 making several strong branches. When transplanted again, these 

 branches will branch again, and when the plant is finally put into 

 its place in the field, its feeding roots will be much more numer- 

 ous than if grown directly from the seed. 



When the seed is sown directly in the field, the amount required 

 for an acre is about one pound ; and it should be distributed by 

 a drill-barrow, — Emery's and Holbrook's being probably the 

 best. The proper time for field planting is not very well de- 

 fined. For the production of large roots for home consump- 

 tion, possibly the middle of June would not be too early for 

 sowing ; — for market, however, from the seventh to the tenth 

 of July is quite early enough. If the seed germinates well, there 

 will be at least twenty times as many plants produced as are to be 

 left after the final thinning. Therefore, any slight attack of the 

 skipping-beetle may be disregarded ; but the field should be closely 

 watched, and if in any place its ravages threaten to become seri- 

 ous, the plants should be carefully dusted. As soon as the plants 

 have grown to a sufficient size to mark the rows, the intervals 

 between them should be very lightly scarified by the horse-hoe, 



