SOW SWEDISH TURNIP. [MAY, 



SOW SWEDISH TURNIP. 



The ruta baga, or Swedish turnip, has, in a va- 

 rious experience, and through several of our coun- 

 ties, proved one of the most important acquisitions 

 which the husbandry of this country has made 

 for many years. I cultivated it upon its first in- 

 troduction, successfully at Bradfield, in the trans- 

 planting method : sowing the seed in a nursery or 

 seed-bed the end of February, and transplanting 

 it on the first rains in June ; but my success was 

 not so great as to induce me to be anxious about 

 it ; and for many years we heard but little of the 

 plant. In 1801, I surveyed the county of Hert- 

 ford for the Board of Agriculture, and was much 

 pleased to find that this plant was so well esta- 

 blished in that county, as to be almost common 

 husbandry. 



In 1802 I surveyed Norfolk, and there found 

 that many of the principal farmers had made 

 pretty large experiments on it, and been suffici- 

 ently successful in some fields^ to have an high 

 opinion of the plant : but many of them com- 

 plained that the fly made such ravages among their 

 plants, that they had no dependence on ever being 

 able to secure a crop. The fact is, that the best 

 culture of this plant is to sow it where it is to 

 remain, broad -cast, from the 10th of May to the 

 end of the month ; and of all others, the best pre- 

 paration to secure a crop, is that of paring and 

 burning ; for the fly being the grand enemy, from 

 its coming so very slowly to the hoe, this opera- 

 tion 



