1853. 



lyj^W ENGLAND FARMER. 



281 



For the New England Farmer. 

 HARLY RADISHES AND TURNIPS. 



BY DR. JOSEPH REVNOLDS. 



The soil of gardens that have long been cultiva- 

 ted becomes filled with worms that interfere great- 

 ly with the production of early vegetables. Rad- 

 ishes and turnips, of all sorts, and lately beets, are 

 so much infested by woi'ms, that it is exceedingly 

 dilEcult to obtain them fit for the table in tlie ear- 

 ly part of the season. They are so perforated by 

 worms, and so knotty, that they are unfit for use, 

 and many persons who are fond of them have 

 ceased all attempts to cultivate them. It is very 

 well known to every farmer, that we can raise 

 good turnips of various kinds, from seed sown in 

 August, upon land upon which turnips sown in 

 April would be of no value whatever. Now most 

 of the worms which prey upon our vegetables 

 spend a portion of their lives in eating and grow- 

 ing, preparatory to a change of form. It is dur- 

 ing this eating period, wliich occurs in the spring 

 and early part of summer, that they are so de- 

 structive. After this period, they either assume 

 the form of winged insects and fly away, or are 

 busy depositing their eggs and forming their co- 

 coons for the coming winter. After worms attain 

 -their full growth, their depredations usually cease.. 

 To this there m'ay be exceptions, as the worm that 

 feeds upon the tubers of the potato, until late in 

 the fall. But most worms cease tlieir depreda- 

 tions upon roots before the middle of July, many 

 even before the end of June. 



Now, Mr. Editor, any man will confer a great 

 favor upon the lovers of good vegetables, who will 

 tell us how to prevent the invasion of these insects 

 even upon our early radishes and turnips, to say 

 nothing about those clay colored villains who steal 

 out in the darkness of night, and cut off our early 

 cabbage plants and cauliflowers, with such mali- 

 cious delight, and when daylight approaches, 

 sneak back into their hiding-places. I have 

 thought a good deal about this matter, and have 

 made some experiments with relation to it, at dif- 

 ferent times. In a piece of ground where worms 

 had injured the potatoes very much, I planted 

 them, manuring the alternate rows with compost 

 manure and with plaster. The potatoes that were 

 manured with plaster alone were smooth and fair, 

 and of fine quality, while those that grew in the 

 rows manured with compost were rendered almost 

 worthless by the worms. I have noticed that seed 

 corn steeped, in a solution of saltpetre and dried 

 by being mixed with plaster is seldom attacked 

 by the cutworm. 



Worms do not abound in sandy soils, and they 

 are rarely found in clay. Soils containing a large 

 amount o^iumus, which consists of decayed vege- 

 table and animal matter, are those in which "they 

 most do congregate." This affords them the pab- 

 ulum which they require. Such are the soils of 

 our gardens. By the application of large quanti- 

 ties of compost, year after year, they have become 

 rich in this element, and are thus doubtless better 

 adapted to the production of the greater number 

 of vegetables, than they could be rendered by any 

 other means. But the gardener docs not require 

 a uniform soil. lie needs perhaps half a dozen 

 different soils, and as many different kinds of ma- 

 nure, within his little enclosure, it may be, of on- 

 ly a few square rods. But this subject is too pro- 

 lific to be entered upon here. Perhaps upon some 



other occasicm, I may give you some thoughts upon 

 it. What I would say now is, that I have raised 

 very good radishes,smooth and fair,in an old wormy 

 garden in the following way. Dig a trench, four 

 feet wide and 10 or 12 inches deep, throwing out 

 all the soil to that depth. Then set hoards edgewise 

 against the sides of the trench. This will not on- 

 ly prevent the sides from caving in, Imt prevent 

 the incoming of worms from the adjacent soils. 

 Then witli a mixture of equal parts of sand and 

 clay fill the trench to within two inches of the sur- 

 face. Let these be well incorporated tjgether. 

 Then manure with fresh cow manure, and work 

 it into tlie mixture thoroughly ; sow your radish- 

 es, and you will seldom if ever fail to get a fine 

 crop. If it is an object to get them very early, 

 let the boards around the sides of the trench pro- 

 trude four or five inches above the surface, and 

 cover with glass. 



Such a bed will last two or three years, when it 

 should be renewed. In the same way early tur- 

 nips may be raised ; but as these are wanted in 

 larger quantity, and of course require more ground, 

 I have adopted a different course with them, and 

 with good success. Take six" parts wood ashes, 

 one part air-slacked lime, one part plaster, mix 

 them well together, and sow the mixture upon the 

 plowed surface ; work it in well with a rake. 

 Then with the hoe form the surface into slightly 

 elevated ridges, sow the seed, and cover with the 

 rake. Use no other manure. If the small black 

 fly, which is so great an enemy to the early tur- 

 nip, attacks them, sift ashes freely over them just 

 before a rain, or at sundown after the dew has be- 

 gan to fall, and unless the season shall be very 

 dry, you will get a good proportion of fair, eatable 

 turnips, not indeed like turnips grown in Septem- 

 ber and October, but very much better than the 

 early turnips usually grown in our gardens. 



Concord, May, 1853. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 



YARROW, OR WILD CAMOMILE, 



I would be obliged to you or some of your con- 

 tributors for information relative to the destroying 

 that pestiferous weed, "Yarrow, or Wild Camo- 

 mile," without plowing; and whether it could 

 not be destroyed by some chemical agent, instead 

 of pulling. My reason for the above is; that my 

 irrigated meadows are beginning to be attacked, 

 though not 80 liable as where the water seldom 

 runs, and which we have no desire to plow. There 

 is another called "Pigeon weed" in parts of this 

 settlement, but it has not made its appearance 

 here yet ; it is spoken of by those who know it to 

 be worse than the yarrow, grows tall and strong, 

 and the seed quick to vegetate. If known by this 

 uame to any of your correspondents, I would also 

 like to hear about it as above. 



M. A. Wilson. 



Fonthill Nursery, 

 near Freeport, Penn. 



I 



Horticultural Exhibition at Concord. — We 

 are informed that the enterprising citizens of Con- 

 cord, the old battle town, will have an exhibition 

 of fruits, vegetables and flowers, to take place, 

 as the season may warrant, on the 11th or 18th 

 of June. Committees of ladies and gentlemen 



