TURNIP. 



TURNIP. 



Turnips published by Dr. William Ellis of 

 Caistor, Lincolnshire, and to Messrs. Lawson's 

 excellent Agriculturist's Manual. 



SWEDISH TURNIPS. The Rikta Baga, or Swed- 

 ish turnip is hardier and more nutritious than 

 any of the common sorts, and in addition to its 

 being more esteemed as food for horses through- 

 out the turnip season, is better adapted for spring 

 feeding generally. It, however, requires a 

 somewhat deeper and superior class of soils, 

 together with a greater allowance of manure. 

 Swedish turnips are generally sown from about 

 the middle to the end of May, and 2 to 2$ Ibs. 

 of seed per imperial acre are, under ordinary 

 circumstances, considered sufficient. They 

 possess an advantage over the others in being 

 easily transplanted, so that the blanks in the 

 rows, either of the Swedes or other sorts (when 

 they occur), are by that means easily filled/up. 



Skirving's new improved Purple-topped Stvede. 

 Mr. William Skirving of Walton Nursery, near 

 Liverpool, who has for many years directed his 

 attention to the improvement of agricultural 

 roots and plants, introduced last season for the 

 first time the above variety. From comparison 

 with every known variety of turnip, which Mr. 

 Skirving has been at pains to collect from all 

 quarters, both in England and on the continent, 

 it appears to have shown itself to possess all 

 the good qualities of a turnip, and gives a 

 greater weight per acre of sound nutritive 

 bulb : it is also hardier, and keeps longer than 

 any other variety. The leaves of Mr. Skir- 

 ving's Swede appear to partake considerably 

 of the character of those of the common tur- 

 nips, being less smooth and more serrated at 

 the edges, and deficient in that glaucous bloom 

 which distinguishes the leaves of the genuine 

 Swedish turnip, which leads me to suspect that 

 he has attained the size by hybridizing with 

 some of the larger varieties of yellow turnips. 



Ballantyne's new improved Purple-topped Swede. 

 This improved variety for symmetry of 

 shape, equality of size, and for the uniform deep 

 purple colour of its top, is unsurpassed by any 

 other variety which has come under our notice. 



Scott's Prize Purple-topped Swede. This is ox- 

 heart shaped, purple above ground, and yellow 

 fleshed, with a small top. 



Laing's new Purple-topped Swede is a decidedly 

 distinct variety. It has a leaf something like 

 that of a lettuce. The leaves are so inserted 

 in the top of the turnip as to give it much the 

 appearance of that of a pine-apple. It grows 

 to a good size, keeps well, and bears a very 

 high character among the agriculturists of 

 Berwickshire and Northumberland, where it is 

 extensively cultivated. The crop has a most 

 beautiful appearance when in full leaf. 



Green-topped Yellcnc Swede. This variety is of 

 longer standing than the purple-topped, since 

 the introduction of which less attention has 

 been bestowed by cultivators in procuring im- 

 proved stocks of the green-topped Swede, 

 which has on that account fallen somewhat in 

 the estimation of growers ; but, where the same 

 care is taken in selecting the roots grown for 

 seed, the green-topped may be considered as 

 being equal in merit to the purple. 



Scott's Prize Green-topped Yellow Swede is an 

 improved variety of the above. The purple- ! 

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topped Swedes are at present more popular, as 

 we before mentioned ; but where, as is the case 

 with Mr. Scott's, equal care has been bestowed 

 on the selection of stocks, and in the subse- 

 quent management, the green is in no way in- 

 ferior to the purple-topped variety. 



Hilly ard's Thorpeland Swede. This has the ap- 

 pearance of a true Swedish turnip, and is said to 

 be more nutritive, bulk for bulk, than some of 

 the larger varieties, which may or may not be 

 the case. Its dwarfish size, and the impossi- 

 bility of raising any great weight of food per 

 acre from it, must, notwithstanding its other 

 merits, be a great obstacle to its making its 

 way among the larger sorts which now invite 

 the attention of cultivators. 



Cox's new Imperial Swede. This variety may 

 be considered as intermediate in colour be- 

 tween the purple and green-topped sorts; its 

 roots often attain a large size, but are rather 

 irregular, and of a somewhat coarse-like quality. 



White Swede. The roots of this turnip are 

 very irregularly shaped, with numberless fangs : 

 they are white under the surface of the ground, 

 and greenioh above. It is impossible to say 

 what improvement may do for even this kind, 

 but at present \ve are acquainted with no va- 

 riety of white Swede worthy of cultivation. 



YELLOW AND WHITE TURNIPS. Common 

 turnips are divided into two important classes, 

 viz. the white and yellow-rooted ; the former 

 comprehending those which are most tender 

 and arrive soonest at maturity, and which are 

 best fitted for using during the earlier part of 

 the season ; and the latter, with trifling excep- 

 tions, such as from their hardiness and period 

 of arriving at perfection, are intermediate be- 

 tween the white sorts and the Swedes, and, like 

 the latter, require a somewhat superior soil 

 and an additional allowance of manure. The 

 period of sowing common turnips should be 

 regulated according to the length of time that 

 the variety to be grown requires to arrive at 

 maturity ; for when allowed to remain in the 

 ground in what maybe termed growing weather, 

 or before winter sets in, after they attain to a 

 full size, they become soft, spongy, and of in- 

 ferior quality. A general rule, however, is, to 

 commence with the yellow sorts about a fort- 

 night after the Swedes, or about the beginning 

 of June, and to follow with the white sorts from 

 the middle till towards the end of that month. 



YELLOW TURNIPS. iltringham Yellow. 



This turnip although from its being rather 

 below the medium size attained by yellow tur- 

 nips in general, it is more particularly suited 

 for garden culture is also in good repute in 

 some quarters as a field turnip. It is recom- 

 mended for its fine globular shape, and the 

 superior solidity of its flesh. It has a light 

 greenish top, very small neck, and tap-root. 



Jlberdeenshire Sugar Yellow. This is a very 

 hardy turnip ; it buries itself considerably in 

 the ground, is highly nutritious, and one of the 

 most approved of the varieties lately intro- 

 duced. 



Border Imperial Purple-topped Yellow. The 

 following particulars, respecting this variety,, 

 are given by Mr. Hogg : " This turnip pos- 

 sesses all the qualities of the Swedish, with 

 the advantage of being a much freer grower. . 



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