EFFECTS OF LIME ON TURNIPS. 



247 



chapter, and upon which their feeding property, in a consider- 

 able degree, depends. Or they may differ in the proportions of 

 saline and other mineral matter they contain, or in the relative 

 proportions of sugar, &c. which may exist in them at the same 

 periods of their growth. In regard to these points, and in the 

 absence of accurate analyses, we can only offer conjectures. 



But how the defect in quality is to be remedied, is a more 

 important question to the practical man. As a means of im- 

 proving the quality, I think lime is deserving of a fair and 

 extensive trial. I do not enter here into the discussion of the 

 reasons which have led me to this opinion ; but as there are no 

 experienced practical men who will deny that, as a general rule, 

 lime is useful to peaty or fenny soils, I venture to recommend 



1. That on such soils, the practice of heavy and successive 

 liming should be resorted to, among other purposes, with the 

 view of testing the value of lime in improving the nutritive 

 quality of root-crops, and especially of turnips. 



2. That on soils of other kinds on which these root-crops 

 are found by experience to be deficient in fattening quality, the 

 application of lime, in considerable doses, should also be tried. 



3. It may happen that, in some parts of the country, the 

 practical man may say, that his land has already been limed, 

 without any good result of the kind in question having fol- 

 lowed. In such a case, I would recommend a series of com- 

 parative trials to be made in duplicate with lime, bones, sulphate 

 of ammonia, and rape-cake, upon land to which the ordinary 

 application of farm-yard manure has been made. The follow- 

 ing scheme represents the kind of arrangement which may be 

 adopted: 



