No. 1. 



Turneps. 



17 



to tlie crop. During the time of ttieir grow- 

 ing, tlie earth was often carefully removed 

 from portions of the land between the rows, 

 and within two inches of llie surface, wliile 

 roots, like strings, three feet in length, were 

 fouiuL, extending not only from row to row, 

 but to have penetrated tlirou<rIi. the rows, by 

 which means moisture and nourishment were 

 conveyed to the plants from tliat distance. 

 Now these, by the operation of hilling, 

 would all have been destroyed, and otiiers, 

 which might have formed afterwards, would 

 have been prevented from extending farther 

 than to tlie sides of the bank of earth drawn 

 up, where they would have perished for want 

 of moisture. Moulding up the rows encour- 

 ages the growth of a second crop, wliich not 

 only robs the first formed bulbs of their nour- 

 ishment whilst growing, but at the time of 

 taking up, will be found a most worthless 

 part of the produce, after having delayed the 

 crop about a fortnight from coming to nititu- 

 rity. To moulding up is also to be attribu- 

 ted that mass of rubbish in the shape of half 

 formed potatoes with which the larger bulbs 

 are so often surrounded. 



P. S. Every practical man knows that the 

 native plants, which grow on a lime stone 

 soil, are different in their species and proper- 

 ties, to those grown on any other, especially 

 to those that are native to a surface, resting 

 on a wet and retentive subsoil ; but even this 

 last may, by draining and heavy liming, be 

 made to produce large crops, even of barley 

 for malting, the best samples of which are al- 

 ways grown on calcareous soils. 



24th JuJy, 18:!a 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Turneps. 



In the spring of 1837, wishing to make an 

 experiment in the culture of turneps, I se- 

 lected an acre which had been well ploughed 

 the previous fall. The preceding crop was 

 potatoes, yielding about two hundred bushels 

 to the acre. In the month of May the ground 

 was ploughed again, and well harrowed. Cat- 

 tle were then turned in occasionally upon 

 the ground, until the 15th of June, when it 

 was ploughed again, well harrowed, and 

 imarked out into drills running north and 

 south. I then divided the patch into four 

 equal parts. To one I gave a common dress- 

 ing of stable manure ; another, an extra quan- 

 tity of compost manure; in both cases it was 

 spread upon the drills, the seed sown imme- 

 diately, and the whole rolled. The next day 

 planted the remaining two sections; on one 

 I sowed ten bushels of fine lime with two and 

 a-half of wood ashes. The other remaininf 

 quarter of an acre received a dressing of two 

 bushels of bone dust. Those dressed with 

 manure appeared about the same time above 



the soil, and, for a season, seemed to take the 

 lead of their neighbors. They were all kept 

 e(]ually clean of weeds, and the soil was re- 

 tained, as far as possible in a finely pulver- 

 ized state, so as to enable it to imbibe the 

 moisture of the atmosphere. They all escaped 

 the fly — not so the turncp worm, as sections 

 1 and "2 suffered by it; those parts dressed 

 with stable manure and compost maintained 

 apparently their ascendancy until about the 

 15th of July, when the others appeared to 

 take the lead. The soil was then again v/ell 

 pulverized, and the whole cleared from all 

 extraneous plants. As the turneps required 

 thinning, commenced that operation about 

 the latter end of July, and must have furnish- 

 ed many bushels, at least forty, to my stock. 

 Unfortunately, I kept no account. On the 

 10th of November, they were gathered in 

 with the following result: 



Section 1. Dressed with stable manure, 

 yielded 98 bushels, rate of 390 per acre. 



Section 2. Dressed with compost, yielded 

 124 bushels, rate of 496 per acre. 



Section .'3. Dressed with lime and wood 

 ashes, yielded 185 bushels, rate of 740 per 

 acre. 



Section 4. Dressed with bone dust, yield- 

 ed 213 bushels, rate of 852 per acre. 

 ' The turneps were not sent to market, but 

 fed to stock, and excellent feed they proved 

 to be, and added not a little to my manure. 

 The interest on the land, and the expenses 

 of cultivation, &c.. including the manures, 

 amounted to $29 75. They were worth to 

 me, as fed to slock, at least 25 cents per bush- 

 el, but say 20 cents; this would be )$124 

 for the yield of the acre, which will leave 

 $94 25 per acre as the proceeds. Now if 

 we farmers can but average the half of this, 

 we shall be doing a clear business. I did not 

 clear the fiflh part of it on my wheat lands. 

 I shall hereafter study a little more variety 

 and not stake all a year's labor on a single 

 staple crop. I have seen, yes, and I h^vefelt 

 the effects. I am determined to make a part 

 of my farm as good as I can by being " l<ind 

 to the soil." I will see this and the ensuing 

 season, if I am spared, what a liberal and ju- 

 dicious application of manure, and keeping 

 the soil well pulverized, will produce. But 

 one word to those who raise turneps, — don't 

 select a cold, stiff, clayey, tenacious soil — it 

 won't do. I tried it and failed. The experi- 

 ment detailed above was made upon a loamy 

 soil, somewhat inclined to a gravelly texture. 

 Your friend and subscriber, 



Samuel W. Smith. 



It is easier to pretend to be what you are not, 

 than to hide what you really are; "he that can 

 accomplish both has little to Iqarn in hypoc- 

 risy. 



