TO PRESERVE THE SWEDISH TURNIP. 295 



Art. LXVIL— to PRESERVE THE SWEDISH TURNIP. 

 By Mr. Charles Allix. 



Having read and tried every method, I believe, that has 

 been suggested as to the management of the Swedish turnip 

 when taken up previous to the winter, I have never been 

 quite satisfied, as, whether they were placed with a good 

 deal of trouble and labour in long piles, and covered with 

 straw, or straw and earth, or in round heaps and covered 

 with earth, or between wattled hurdles, or topped and tailed 

 and deposited in a furrow made by a double mould-board 

 plough, and covered by the common plough, there have 

 always been too many rotten to satisfy me. If deposited 

 in a barn or building, it might answer xevj possibly, as in 

 the case of mangel-wurzel, which I have for several years 

 managed in this manner. I do not remember ever having 

 had a single rotten one. But for Swedes, it would be 

 almost impossible to store any great quantity, so much room 

 would be required — as, for instance, for only ten acres. 

 However, this year I tried a plan that does appear to 

 answer, very sim]3le and very cheap ; but only having tried 

 it one year, and that year a remarkable one for its mildness, 

 I will not speak positively, and shall be happy to hear any 

 remarks xqjon the ])lan, or any improvements suggested by 

 brother farmers. The plan is this : — In December, or when 

 you please, with the horse-hoe, only one of the side knives 

 being on, and that knife reversed, you will be able to cut all 

 the tap-roots, and scarcely disturb a turnip in the row^s. 

 This alone is of use in the spring, even if you do not wish, 

 to do more, as it will very much prevent the turnips running 

 to seed, and of course the tap-roots from drawing the ground. 

 I tried two rows at a time, both knives on ; but my man 

 found it almost im])ossible to hold the instrument sufiiciently 

 steady, and the turnips were consequently disturbed in the 

 rows. The tap-roots having been cut, I then pass the double 

 plough up the centre between every six rows, and let the 

 turnijjs (which pull iq), the tap-root being cut, as easily as 

 possible) to one of my labourers at Cs. GcL an acre, at which, 

 he finding two children, probably his own, he will make 

 good wages, the average wages in this country being 2^. a 

 day for a man. A child on each side of him hands the 



