290 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



For the New England Fanner. 



TURNIP CULTURE. 



Having received, by way of the Patent Office at 

 Washington, twenty-six kinds of turnip seed, which 

 ■were sent from England for experiment, I last 

 summer obtained a piece of ground, and tried them 

 as well as I could. The result was more satisfactory 

 than I expected it would be. 



The seed was received so late as to forbid the 

 best choice of ground for the experiment, it being 

 some time in the month of June when it came to 

 hand. A piece of mowing ground was obtained, 

 which was first mowed. It was in such condition 

 that half an acre did not yield more than 200 

 pounds of hay. 



After taking off" the hay, it was broken up, and 

 not again worked except with the cultivator. The 

 manure applied was estimated at eight cords of 

 stable manure to the aci-e, worked in with the 

 cultivator. To this was added, in the drills for 

 ruta-bagas, and broadcast on the surface for those 

 kinds which were to be sowed broadcast, of super- 

 phosjjhate of lime at the rate of 300 pounds to the 

 acre. The soil was a sandy loam. There were four 

 kinds of ruta-bagas, each kind occupjing one square 

 rod of ground. They were sowed on the eleventh 

 of July, and harvested on the fifth day of No- 

 vember. The product of No. 1, Skir\ing's Swed- 

 ish Turnip, was at the rate of 720 bushels to the 

 acre, with 4 tons of tops. The product of No. 2, 

 River's Stubble Swedish Turnip, 640 bushels, and 

 4 tons of tops. No 3, Laing's Swedish Turnip, gave 

 640 bushels, with 3^ tons of tops. No. 4, Green- 

 topped Swedish Turnips, the rate of 880 bushels, 

 with 3^ tons of tops. 



The amount of each kind was ascertained, and 

 the product of one square rod multiplied by the 

 number of square rods in an acre. The tops were 

 "weighed immediately after they were trimmed, that 

 is, while they remained green. 



Two of these kinds have proved to be extra fine 

 for culinary uses, No. 2 and No. 4. At this time 

 May 10th, they are as nice as any body could ask 

 for. 



The other twenty-two kinds were sowed broad- 

 cast, on the 24th day of July, and were harvested, 

 on the 16th day of November. The product of 

 these were at the follo\ving rates per acre, by the 

 same way of computation above spoken of. No. 5, 

 Ball's Hybrid Turnip, 885 bushels and 8000 pounds 

 of tops. No. 6, Green-topped Six-weeks Turnip, 

 560 bushels, 4480 pounds tops. No. 7, Snow-ball 

 Turnip, 600 bushels, 6360 pounds tops. No 8, 

 Strap-leaved Turnip, 700 bushels, 4800 tops. No. 

 9, Small Yellow Malta, 480 bushels, 4800 pounds 

 tops. No. 10, White Globe or Norfolk White 

 Turnip, 660 bushels, 8000 pounds tops. No. 11, 

 Green Round or Norfolk Green Turnip, 440 bush- 

 els, 7360 pounds tops. No. 12, Green Globe, or 

 Green Norfolk Turnip, 620 bushels, 8320 pounds 

 tops. No. 13, Golden Ball Turnip, 440 bushels, 

 6400 pounds tops. No. 14 Red Globe or Norfolk 

 Red Turnip, 500 bushels, 980 pounds tops. No. 

 15,White Tankard or Decanter Turnip, 400 bushels, 

 5760 pounds tops. No. 16, Green Tankard or De- 

 canter Turnip, 400 bushels, 5640 pounds tops. No. 

 17, Yellow Tankard, or Decanter Turnip, 400 bush- 

 els, 5440, pounds tops. No. 18, Red Tankard or 

 Decanter Turnip, 400 bushels, 6240 pounds tops. 

 No. 19, Green-topped Scotch Turnip, 260 bushels, 



6400 pounds tops. No. 20, Purple-topped Scotch 

 Turnip, 240 bushels, 7040 pounds tops. No. 21, 

 Skirving's Purple-topped Scotch Turnip, 400 bu- 

 shels, 5920 pounds tops. No. 22, Early Stone 

 or Stubble Stone Turnip, 320 bushels, 6400 pounds 

 tops. No. 23, Yellow Stone Turnip, 240 bushels 

 8000 pounds tops. No. 24, Red-topped Stone 

 Turnip, 640 bushels, 7040 pounds tops. No. 25, 

 White Dutch Turnip, 480 bushels, 7200 pounds 

 tops. No. 26, Yellow Dutch Turnip, 240 bushels, 

 4000 pounds tops. 



We had so severe a drought from August 1st, 

 for eight weeks, that no rain at any time wet any- 

 thing below the mere surface of the ground. At 

 the middle of September, and from that until near 

 the first of October, the prospect appeared almost 

 hopeless. Some of the kinds never recovered from 

 the effect, scarcely in the least degree ; and there is 

 no reason to sup])ose that any of the kinds were 

 near equal in product to what they would have been 

 under more favorable circumstances. 



Several of the late-sowed kind proved to be very 

 fine for culinary purposes. Among these, the Small 

 Yellow Malta, No. 9, for early use, and the Yellow 

 Tankard, No. 17, for later use, appeared to claim 

 first mark. The Green-topped Six-weeks Turnip, 

 No. 6, was very early. 



I have for a good while been thinking of prepar- 

 ing a few articles for the jYeiv England Fanner on 

 Turnip Culture ; but ill-health, and a doubt wheth- 

 er I could rank them worthy of the space they 

 would occupy, has prevented. I have devoted con- 

 siderable attention to the subject for a number of 

 years, before leaving the Granite State. 



Assonet, Mass., 1856. A. G. Comings. 



SAVE YOUR PLUMS NOW. 



We begin to think this can be done without Mr. 

 Matthews, if not with him. We were yesterday 

 on the grounds of one of our best horticulturists, 

 and saw the application, and have some faith in its 

 success. Our friend thinks there is no chance for 

 mistake about its efficacy. He informed us that he 

 applied it last year, after the curculio had begun its 

 ravages, and that it not only saved those which 

 were unstung, but many of the plums on which the 

 insect had left his card, healed up and ripened welL 

 The liquid enters the opened wound and destroys 

 the e^^. This is the only remedy he has ever 

 found to avail against this slippery enemy of one of 

 our best fruits. His recipe is — 



One peck of unslaked lime, 

 Six pounds of salt. 

 One barrel of water. 



The mixture is to be applied with a common 

 garden syringe. If one application is not sufficient 

 repeat it. A single application answered vdth him 

 last year. 



No time is to be lost, as the young plums are 

 already set, and the enemy has begun to show him- 

 self. If a syringe is not to be had, sprinkle on the 

 liquid in some other way. The mixture is cheap 

 and easily applied, and every man who has a plum 

 tree should try it. This is the most philosophical 

 remedy we have yet seen suggested, and we com- 

 mend it with more confidence than most new things 

 to the notice of fruit-growers. If it answers our 

 expectations, it will be worth millions to the country. 

 Plums can be grown on loose, sandy loams as well 

 as on clay soils, to which they have hitherto bee" 



