324 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



APRIL I», 1843. 



EXPERIMKNTS IN TURNIP GROWING. 



At the annual exhibition of the; Sussex Express 

 Root Show, at Lewe.s, two samples of Sivedo tur- 

 nips among the extra productions were the subject 

 of considerable inquiry — one was grown by R. 

 Gray, Esq., at Barcombe, with bran as a manure, 

 the other liy T. Richardson, Esi)., in the same par- 

 ish, with oil as a manure. Both these experiments 

 seemed to have answered their purpose. Bran 

 was equal to yard manure, and oil had an evident 

 effect in keeping otf the fly and nourishing the 

 root. We may here remark that no manure can 

 be applied advantageously for turnips, unless there 

 be present phosphorous in some shape or other, for 

 the turnip contains in itself the chemical proper- 

 ties of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen as water, ni- 

 trogen, silicon, potassium, phosphorus in a large 

 degree, and a slight shade of sodium. In all cul- 

 tivated soils carbon is present in the shape of de- 

 cayed vegetation. Rain-water contains oxygen 

 and hydrogen. Nitrogen is invariably present. 

 Silicon, in the shape of gravel or sand. Potassium 

 is found in all clays, but phosphorus has generally 

 to be brought to the land incorporated with the 

 manures applied. Fish-oil contains a large portion 

 of phosphorus, as does also bran, and hence may 

 be traced the value of these two manures for tur- 

 nips. 



It should be borne in mind that fish-oil, until it 

 has undergone a chemical change, la injurious to 

 both seed and plant; it is consequently applied 

 after having been incorporated with wood ashes, 

 in whit h there is a quantity of potass ; this imme- 

 diately changes the oil into snap, and the manure, 

 therefore, actually is soap, and not oil, when thrown 

 upon the land. Where wood ashes are not readily 

 to be obtained, the oil mixed with soda, dissolved 

 in water, will produce the change necessary for its 

 becoming a useful and active manure, and may 

 then be incorporated with road scrapings, or other 

 materials, to fit it for drilling. 



To destroy the rapacity of the grubs, no plan 

 seems so effectual as turning up the ground rough 

 late in autumn, so that it may be exposed well to 

 the frost. Salt thrown sparingly over also addi. 

 tionally cleanses the soil. Upon stitT lands a win- 

 ter fallow is a great sweetener, and those who have 

 tried it for roots, have ever been well compensated 

 for their labor. To prevent the depredations of 

 the fly, several plans have been adopted. Dry 

 lime after a shower has been of great service, but 

 nothing li:is as yet been presented to public atten- 

 tion more effectual than spreading coal-tar or gas- 

 ashes over the land after sowing. The smell of 

 the bitumen is so offensive to the fly as to ward off" 

 its attacks. An easy method of applying this 

 preventive, is to obtain coal tar, and mix it with a 

 solution of sub-carbon-ite of soda, (the common 

 Boda used in household affairs.) A chemical com- 

 bination takes place, and the tenacity of the tar is 

 in a great measure destroyed. Mix the tar so pre- 

 pared with road scrapings, nshes, or mould : let the 

 compost be turned over several times, and when 

 well incorporated it is ready to be used, and may 

 be spread broadcast after the sowing is completed. 



We may mention that coal-tar forms a leading 

 ingredient of one of the patent manures, but as it 

 does not contain phosphorus in any shape, it pos- 

 sesses scarcely any other value to the crop, except 

 protecting it from the ravages of the fly. As a ma- 

 nure for wheat or any other straw crop, its applica- 

 tion has been very advantageous. 



As much public benefit is expected from the 



growth of carrots, we may be excused for offering 

 some observations upon their culture upon stiff 

 clays, 'J'he land should be ridged up in the latter 

 end of October or November, and being exposed 

 to the winter's frost, will be ready early jn the fol- 

 lowing year, for the reception of the seed. — Sussex 

 (Eng.) Express. 



Thfory of Manure. — If we produce a crop of 

 vegetables upon a fertile soil, that is, one contain- 

 ing the matters required by the plant, that crop 

 takes away from the soil some proportion of that 

 pabulum which is necessary to render a soil capa- 

 ble of maintaining vegetable life. If this crop is 

 succeeded by a series, it is obvious that the soil 

 becomes more and more exhausted of these nutri- 

 tious matters, and consequently becomes less and 

 less fertile. Common observation proves the truth 

 of these positions. 



The use of manure, therefore, is to afford the 

 growing plant a fresh snpply of that food which 

 preceding crops have consumed, or which the soil 

 does not contain. If, then, this be the use of ma- 

 nure, if one object of its application be to prevent 

 a decrease in the fertility of the soil, it is obvious 

 that it may be applied to another object of still 

 more importance, viz : to increase the fertility of 

 the soil. 



Thus, by the application to a soil of those mat- 

 ters whicli one crop has taken up, we restore it to 

 its original condition, and render it capable of 

 yielding another crop equal to the first, it is evi- 

 dent that by returning to a soil more than the pre- 

 ceding crop hns taken away, we improve its original 

 condition, and make it capable of producing still 

 more. 



When it is considered that our population in- 

 creases every day, and that with this increase of 

 population, and increased demand for the products 

 of the soil arises, it will at once be allowed that 

 no object can be more important than this. '' Noth- 

 ing," said an ancient philospher, "is more grateful 

 than the earth ;" and if we make it a principle to 

 return in the shape of manure, more of the matters 

 nutritious to vegetables than we have carried away 

 iti the crop, she will vie with us in generosity. — 

 Hannam''s Prize Essay. 



duce little difference in the quantity of milk; bu 

 if an equal quantity of Swedes or carrots, anc 

 mangel wurtzel be given alternately, both the sup 

 ply of milk and butter will be increased." 



Cure for Foot-Rot in Sheep. — Mr J. R. Speed, ii 

 the Albany Cultivator says : " I had occasion ti 

 procure a Spanish Merino buck, a few months age 

 from a distant part of the county, and on going in 

 to my sheep-ynrd soon afterwards, I found him ver 

 lame in two of his feel, so much so as scarcely t 

 be able to walk. I immediately removed him ti 

 the barn floor, and on examination found that hi; 

 lameness was occasioned by that scourge of thi 

 Ovine race — the foot-rot. I cleansed the hoof 

 thoroughly with warm soap-suds, and fled to m; 

 books for a remedy. I soon found in the " Com 

 plete Grazier," p. 1(55, several remedies for thi 

 disease, but as I had not at hand the ingredient 

 of which they were composed, I laid aside m; 

 books, and took down that cure-all among farmers 

 my bottle of spirits of turpentine, and with a feath 

 ar applied it to the parts affected, quite plentifully 

 twice or three times in the space of three days 

 (keeping him upon the floor,) when I found tha 

 a perfect cure had been effected, and put him will 

 the flock again, and have seen nothing of the lame 

 ness since." 



Lice on Fowls. — In your Oct. number, I observci 

 some remarks on using sulphur to destroy lice oi 

 fowls. This I have tried in former years with en 

 tire success. Mixed with Indian meal and watei 

 and fed in the proportion of 1 lb. of sulphur to '. 

 doz. fowls, in two parcels, a few days opart, I hav( 

 found that it would soon exterminate the lice, am 

 produce a remarkably healthy and glossy appear 

 ance in the fowls. They should at the same tiini 

 be supplied with proper dusting places. — Jilb, Cult 



Mangel H'urlzel. — A correspondent of tlie Lon- 

 don Gardener's Chronicle, thus speaks of the man- 

 gel wurtzel: "I am perfectly satisfied, if tliree 

 bullocks, near as equal as possible, were put up to 

 fatten at the same time, omj to be fed on Swedes, 

 one on carrots, and the other on mangel wurtzel, 

 that the two former would be in better condition 

 at the end of three months than the latter would 

 be in five months. The best time to use mangle 

 wurtzel is in the spring, as it will be found when 

 first given to cattle, to act as a purgative, which 

 will greatly benefit lean stock at that seasort. If 

 mangel wurtzel be given in large quantities, it will 

 produce diarrhoea, which would greatly injure any 

 kind of stock intended to be fattened for market. 



I have proved the mangel wurtzel is an excel- 

 lent root for ewes whicli have lambs, as it will pro- 

 duce a greater flush of milk than eitlier Swedes or 

 carrots. I have also given it to milch cows, and 

 found the supply of milk to be greater, but no in- 

 crease in the weight of butter, which is another 

 proof that mangel wurtzel does not possess fatten- 

 ing qualities. Carrots or Swedes, if given to milch 

 cows, will increase the weight of butter, but pro- 



Snow. — While we have reports of six feet o 

 snow below Portland, in one storm, a letter fron 

 Whitesboro', near Utica, to the New York'Ameri 

 can, says the snow is a fathom (6 feet) deep there 

 " On all sides as far as the eye can penetrate, ther( 

 is a wide, desolaling expanse of snow. In truth 

 the entire land, from Albany to Buffalo, and fron 

 Utica to Watertown, is an ocean of snow, lyinf 

 from four to twelve feet deep. You can ride fo 

 miles over the fences, take hold of the eaves o 

 barns, plunge into hollows, or rise on heights, a> 

 your fancy sways you." — JV. H. Sentinel. 



Do n't buy any thing merely because it pleases 

 the eye. When you have bought one fine thing 

 (says Dr. Franklin,) you must buy ten more, thai 

 your appearance may bo all of a piece : hut it ii 

 easiet to suppress the first desire, than to satisfj 

 all that follow it. 



Titles. — Titles are of no weight with posterity 

 and the name only of a man who has performet 

 exploits, carries more respect than all the epitheti 

 that can be added to it. — Voltaire. 



Our inquiries into immortality are, alas! tO( 

 often made in the time of mourning and sorrow 

 ful bereavement, and, therefore, our views are no 

 sufficiently bright and cheering. We never wall 

 amid the graves save with crape upon our faces. — 

 Ritcher. 



