WAYS WITH TURNIPS 



275 



climate, and, though they can be packed away in sand for use dur- 

 ing our warm, rainy winter, the people have other supplies of 

 fresher character in the winter, and do not find either turnips or 

 parsnips as desirable as they are in wintry countries. 



Turnips and rutabagas are then reduced to claim popularity 

 upon their excellence as quickly grown for immediate use when 

 mature, and under this restriction they centainly enjoy a fair measure 

 of popularity. Kohl-rabi is very little used and its narrow fame 

 is chiefly confined to citizens of French and German descent. 



Culture. The growth of all these plants is simple and can be 

 undertaken anywhere in California, providing their dislike of sum- 

 mer heat and dry air is borne in mind. The culture methods pre- 

 scribed for the beet and carrot befit the turnip in the direction of 

 preparation of soil, sowing the seed and cultivation. The plants 

 are hardy against frost and can be successfully produced all through 

 our valley winters. Sowing for winter use may begin early in the 

 fall on irrigated ground or as soon as the rains fall. Sowing for 

 spring and early summer can be done at any time during the winter 

 when the soil is sufficiently dry and warm for germination and 

 growth of the seedling. In valleys of heavy rainfall and frosts, 

 February sowing may be best for spring use, but in warmer, drier 

 parts earlier sowing is desirable. The plant needs adequate moist- 

 ure and a moderate temperature, and its growth is a matter of con- 

 ditions not of the calendar. It is plain, then, that turnips are well 

 adapted to winter gardening in California, and, if pushed to ma- 

 turity rapidly, they will be found very tender and delicious. Sow- 

 ing for succession will give turnips fresh from the soil in all their 

 excellence through many months in our warmer valleys. 



Both the flat turnips and the rutabagas or Swedish turnips are 

 grown in the same way, and both reach edible size very quickly 

 under favorable conditions. Culture is like that advised for the 

 radish except that they need wider spacing. Rutabagas are better 

 keepers and more serviceable for winter storage than flat turnips, 

 though both are mainly used fresh from the ground in this state. 



Rutabagas are sometimes transplanted from the seed-bed, as 

 space becomes available here and there in the garden for them. 

 They are handled just as cabbage plants are. 



Kohl-rabi is grown in the same way as common cabbage, both 

 in starting plants and planting out. 



Varieties. The flat turnips chiefly grown are Early Snowball, 

 Early White Dutch and Purple Top Milan the latter being pre- 

 ferred by market gardeners. The Purple Top Flat Dutch or Strap 

 Leaf and Purple Top White Globe are also in good favor. 



Rutabagas are so little grown that there is doubt which has 

 the preference of several good kinds listed by our seedsmen; the 

 Purple Top Yellow or Long Island seem, however, to be most 

 popular. 



Of Kohl-rabi the White Vienna is usually grown. 



