TURNIP. 



TURNIP. 



oT turnips as a field crop was introduced into 

 Norfolk by Lord Townshend ; but there is still 

 further evidence that they were known as such 

 some time before the date assigned for their 

 introduction. They are mentioned in Hough 

 ton's Collection of Papers, vol. i. p. 213, as food 

 for sheep, in 1684. Since that period consi- 

 derable improvements in their cultivation have 

 taken place, and a great variety of very inferior 

 soils have been made capable of growing con- 

 siderable crops of them, by judicious manage- 

 ment and proper selection of manure. 



On the value and importance of the turnip 

 crop to England, it is unnecessary to expatiate. 

 Not only does it enable the farmer to supply 

 the consumer with fresh meat during the win- 

 ter, instead of the salted food upon which our 

 ancestors had almost exclusively to depend, 

 but also partially supplies the place of a fal- 

 low; it imparts to the land a degree of fertility 

 which ensures, under proper management, a suc- 

 cession of crops for the following years of the ro- 

 tation. It is indeed the sheet-anchor of light soil 

 cultivation, and the basis of the alternate sys- 

 tem of English husbandry, to which every class 

 of the community is so much indebted. 



Preparation of the Soil. Turnips generally 

 succeed a crop of wheat. In some cases, on 

 very poor soils, the clover leys are broken up 

 for turnips ; and, on others, a crop of winter 

 tares, either mown or depastured, are taken, off 

 between the wheat crop and ploughing for tur- 

 nips. As a regular system, the former cannot 

 be pursued ; for the frequent recurrence of the 

 turnip and clover crops would operate injuri- 

 ously, and defeat the object of the cultivator ; 

 and the latter is only applicable to soils quite 

 free from root weeds, of a superior staple, or 

 in a very high state of cultivation. 



As soon as the grain crop is secured, and 

 the stock have passed over the stubble, it is 

 desirable to have it ploughed, to subject the 

 soil to the ameliorating; influence of the frosts 

 of winter. In all cases the plough should be 

 below the couch-grass, which is usually most 

 abundant on inferior soils, but seldom below 

 the mould. In ordinary cases, nothing is more 

 necessary than to prevent the water from stand- 

 ing in any part during the winter; where the 

 land is intended for Swedes, an effort should be 

 made to have it partly or entirely cleared of 

 weeds before the winter. 



When the land is free from weeds, the cross- 

 ploughing may be begun as soon as the dry- 

 ness will admit of it. It may take place in 

 February with advantage ; inasmuch as it ex- 

 poses a new and more extensive surface to the 

 action of the frosts which generally succeed. 

 If allowed to remain a month or two longer, it 

 may advantageously be crossed with Finlay- 

 son's harrow. Where the couch-grass, how- 

 ever, is abundant, it is positively injurious to 

 cross-plough early, as the operation breaks the 

 roots, and renders the clearing of the land 

 afterwards tedious and difficult. Where very 

 abundant, the operation should be delayed until 

 the soil is dry, even if it should be the latter 

 end of April or the beginning of May; more 

 will be effected by one ploughing in this case 

 than by two under different circumstances. 



When the dryness admits of it, usually in 



two or three days, the land should be harrowed 

 across ; first with the patent or hinge harrows, 

 and subsequently with the loose harrows, which 

 separate the rubbish more effectually from the 

 soil; and then the weeds should be raked off, 

 which is generally performed by women. 



As soon as the couch-roots, &c., are cleared 

 off, either by carting into large, or burning in 

 small heaps, the land may be dragged with Fin- 

 layson's or any approved drag; and the same 

 course followed alternately, so long as any 

 roots remain. When they are unable to rake 

 them off, they should be hand-gathered, and no 

 dependance whatever should be placed on the 

 destruction of any by the sun's rays, until the 

 25th of June, a time when, on most soils, the 

 sowing should be concluded. It is desirable 

 that the land should lie a week or ten days be- 

 fore the last ploughing is given to it, as it 

 admits of the germination of such seeds of 

 weeds as may be lying dormant in the soil, and 

 is likewise favourable to the accumulation of 

 moisture in a dry season. The turnip-seed 

 should be sown immediately, however, after 

 the last ploughing. 



Manure. In treating of the manures with 

 which the turnips should be dressed, farm-yard 

 manure stands the foremost, because it is what 

 every farmer possesses, and, with the excep- 

 tion of the calcareous soils in the East Riding 

 of Yorkshire, is almost invariably employed in 

 the cultivation of turnips. In general, it never 

 will, and never can be superseded; and, though 

 every deference is due to the practical know- 

 ledge of the East Riding farmers, there can be 

 no doubt that, if their straw were more carefully 

 made into manure, and applied to the turnip crop 

 in conjunction with bones, it would be decidedly 

 advantageous. It is unnecessary to say that 

 house-made manure, and by fattening cattle, 

 especially such as are consuming artificial 

 food, is the best; and that of horses, cows, 

 pigs, &c., should be mixed as intimately as 

 possible, the hot character of horses' dung neu- 

 tralizing the coldness of that of the cow, and 

 vice vena. It is desirable to cart this mixture 

 to the fields intended for turnips in January 

 and February, during the frost, or at such other 

 times as convenience may dictate; but the ear- 

 lier the better. About three weeks before used 

 it should be turned over, the sides of the mixen 

 being carefully turned into the middle. With- 

 out entering in particular into the much dis- 

 puted question of the fermentation of dung be- 

 ing useful or otherwise, thus much every farmer 

 will know well the truth of, that on light soils, 

 and for turnips, well rotted dung is indispensa- 

 ble, where it is used at all. When fermentation 

 is progressing so fast as to induce destructive 

 heat, or mouldiness, it may be checked by 

 treading the mixen and covering it with soil; 

 and when it is sluggish, it may be excited by 

 turning and watering. 



For sandy or gravelly soils, farm-yard ma- 

 nure is an almost necessary ingredient in pro- 

 ducing a crop of turnips. The rapid decom- 

 position of vegetable matter which takes place 

 on such soils requires that there should be a 

 supply for that succulent crop ; and, as before 

 stated, there can be no doubt of its utility to 

 alcareous soils; but for peaty descriptions, 



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