THE CULTIVATION OF TURNIPS. 



597 



no control. I am pretty sure many of you have 

 seen a grreat difference in a field sown on difFer- 

 ent days : nay. even between a few hours' sow- 

 ing. Tliis shows the necessity of watching 

 closely the state of the ground "at the time of 

 sowing. There is often too much haste in get- 

 ting the seed in, without considering whetlier or 

 not the land is fit to receive it. Small neglects 

 nialte, at times, great diilcrenccs in the weight 

 of crop. Having noticed the raising of turnips 

 with fold-yai'd manure alone, 1 beg to recom- 

 mend the general crop to bo grown with part 

 fold-yard and part special manure, of .some kin<l 

 or other. Since the introduction of special ma- 

 nures, too numerous for me to mention, tlie quan- 

 tity of turnip-growing has been increased im- 

 mensely. I cannot do better than recommend 

 the members of the Club to read Rev. A. Hu.x- 

 table's account of raising Swedish turnips upon 

 land. He will tell you how, by the application 

 of his chemical knowledge, he raised large cro|is 

 from land as bad as land could possibly be, and 

 which had never grown turnips before. (See 

 sixth volume of the " Royal Agricultural Socie- 

 ty's Transaations.") Certain it is that the exten- 

 sive application of bone-manure has increased 

 the quantity of acres under turnips to an amazing 

 extent, and proved to be a most useful manure 

 on all light lands. It not only has been found to 

 produce large crops of turnips, but has also been 

 found by experience to be a lasting manure. I 

 have one field which has been entirely manured 

 with bone-manure for sixteen years, and is much 

 improved since the commencement, having been 

 boned every fourth year. Next, as to seed. The 

 very best ought to be purchased. Three pounds 

 per acre is often recommended ; I have found 

 two pounds per acre quite sufficient, when the 

 land is properly prepared. I would recommend 

 laud, intended for turnips, to be clean ; for if 

 land grows quickens, rest assured it cannot grow 

 turnips. Also to have the soil well pulverized 

 previous to sowing — to allow the drills to be 

 ridged up a day or two before the drill is set to 

 ^vork — to be sure to have the manure well pre- 

 pared and evenly spread — to use bone-dust, 

 guano and other special manures along with 

 fold-yard dungs, in preference to using any of 

 them alone — to deposit the seed with a light 

 covering of earth — to use good .seed, and thin 

 the plants ten to twelve inches, particularly 

 vSwedes, which require to be from twelve to 

 fourteen inches asunder — to scuffle as deep as 

 practicable, for the purpose of admitting air and 

 water to the pJants — to sow the Swedes about 

 the middle of May — yellow bullocks and other 

 yellow sorts as .soon after as convenient, follow- 

 ing on with globes till the middle of June, or 

 even in some cases rather later, according to 

 seasons— and not to attempt to sow more laud 

 than can be well be prepared and manured. 



Mr. Joseph Laycock said the grand desidera- 

 tum in Agriculture was the attainment of those 

 particular ingredients which the plant required 

 for its sustenance. To apply at random a num- 



ber of mgredients, in the hope that if many were 

 inoperative, others would nourish the plant, wa» 

 extravagant and wasteful farming. Now what 

 was It that the turnip most required ? Chemistry- 

 answered the question. It was phosphate (or 

 superphosphate) of lime that was chiefly needed ,- 

 and the turnip-grower should inform himself 

 how he could obtain the most of this manure at 

 the least expense. He had heard this questioa 

 discu.ssed, and with much ability, at one of the 

 meetings of the Royal Agricultural Society in 

 Loudon. Mr. Pusey. one of the speakers, pointed 

 out what he considered the most inexpensive 

 mode of procuring the phosphate ; and he baa 

 adopted that gentlemau's suggestion with great 

 success ; for when ho, a few years ago, began 

 fanning, his predecessor in the occupation of 

 the land assured him that it would not grow tar* 

 nip.s, and yet he had succeeded, by foUowiog^ 

 the plans of Mr Pusy and other enlightened 

 agricultural authorities, in- raising excellent 

 crops. The phosphate of lime existed in bones, 

 but in combination with matter which prevented 

 its direct application to the land with good 

 effect. The method which Mr. Pusey adopted, 

 and by which he got rid of the difficuliies which 

 stood in the way of ordinary farmers in the use- 

 of phosphate of lime, was the following: He 

 made a mound of soil, or, better still, of bums 

 ashes, and fashioned the summit into the form of 

 a crater. Into this large basin he put a few half- 

 inch bones, and then poured in .some sulphuric 

 acid (oil of viu-iol) ; and so he went on, alter- 

 nately putting in bones and acid. The propor- 

 tions were 4 bushels of bones to 80 lbs. of acid. 

 The cost of the acid was 83. 4d., and of the 

 bones lO.s. ; and this made a sufficient quantity 

 for an acre. The mixture of the bones and acid 

 evolved great heat, and he added 5 gallons of 

 water— hot water. He had found it convenient, 

 however, to mix for -2 acres in one heap of 

 mould ; becau.se, in that case, one whole carboy 

 of acid (160 lbs.) was required : and, of course, 

 the (piantity of bones and hot water must also be 

 doubled. The mixture was stirred up with a 

 hayfork, and covered over with ashes for a day 

 or two. It would then be found in the form of 

 a powder, and should be turned over twice or 

 thrice. He applied it with a seed-drill, mixed 

 with fine powdered soil or ashes, at the rate of 

 4 bushels of the phosphate to an acre. It 

 caused an early growth, and carried the plant 

 quickly through that first stage in which it wa» 

 most liable to flies, &c. For the growth of 

 Swedes he had applied this dust witli farm-yard 

 manure, and would advise every farmer to do 

 the same. It brought them 8 or 10 days earlier 

 to the hoe ; and every one knew what an ad- 

 vantage this must be. It might be asked, why- 

 make this phosphate, when it might be had of 

 agricultural chemists ready-made ? Bijl, if the 

 farmer made it himself, he knew what lie was 

 using. Turnips, with this manure, might not 

 have so much top as with guano, but they would 

 bulb well and keep well. 



Starch fro.m Diseased Pot.\toes. — Starch made from di.seased potatoes, it is said, has been 

 found to injure silk goods when used to stiffen them. The goods are covered with spots, which 

 when examined through a microscope, present the same fungus that is found in the diseased potato' 



An Abmiraiu-e Cure forthe Toothache. — A small piece of Radix pyrcrethsB (Spanish root) 

 placed upon the gum, or a piece of cotton steeped in an extract of the sajne root and similarly ap- 

 plied, completely removes this very annoying complaint. 

 (1117) 



