172 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Fig. 1. 



than on any other in the rotation. The land is made 

 perfectly clean and mellow hy repeated plowings, 

 harrowings, etc., and is then heavily manured. The 

 seed is sown in ridges 2^ feet apart, and when in 

 the rough leaf the plants are thinned out by hand 

 hoes to 12 inches apart. In two or three weeks 

 afterward they are gone over again witli the hand 

 hoes, to remove any double 

 ones and to destroy weeds ; 

 and the horse hoe is used be- 

 tween the rows as often as 

 needed to destroy the weeds 

 and keep the soil loose and 

 mellow. The quantity of 

 seed sown varies considera- 

 bly in different parts of Eng- 

 land ; less than one pound 

 per acre is seldom sown, and 

 w^e have known as much as 

 four or five pounds sown. 

 This thick seeding was adopt- 

 ed in order to lurnish enough 

 plants to secure a crop, even 

 should the fly prove unusually 

 destructive. Since the introduction of superphos- 

 phate and guano, this thick seeding is unnecessary. 

 Superphosphate of lime when drilled with the seed, 

 gives tlie phxnts such a remarkably vigorous growth 

 that they slioot forward beyond the reach of the 

 fly before it can do the plants 

 much injury. When in the 

 rough leaf, the fly will not 

 injure them. For turnips, 

 there i> no manure equal to 

 superphosphate of lime, and 

 unlike Peruvian guano, it can 

 be sown with the seed with- 

 out injury — or rather with 

 great advantage. 



Swede turnips orruta bagaa 

 are sown in this country about 

 the'middle of June; the com- 

 mon white turnips from tho 

 first of July to the middle of 

 August* The latter some- 

 times afford a fair crop when 

 sown broadcast on a rye, 

 wheat or barley stubble, with 

 little after culture; but rutabagas should always 

 be sown in rows, and thinned out and hoed. It 

 is vain to expect a crop if this is neglected. Sow 

 thick enough to furnish plants for the fly — say from 

 one to two pounds of seed per acre. 



We annex cuts of tiie most popular varieties of 



Fig. 2. 



Swede turnips grown in England. Fig. 1 is the 

 Common Purple top Swede. It is an old variety, 

 very solid, hardy, and not apt to run to seed — an 

 admirable quality, especially in this country. Fig. 

 2 is SMr'ding''s Improved Purple-top Swede, a very 

 large and free grower, producing immense crops on 

 heavily manured land. It is, however, somewhat 

 liable to run to seed, and contains more water than 

 any other variety wo have analysed. It is perhaps 

 the most popular kind grown in England. Fig. 3 



Fig. 3. 



is Laing'^s Improved Purple-top Swede. Its cab- 

 bage-like leaves, by their horizontal growth, cover 

 the ground and check the growth of weeds. In 

 point of shape, hardiness and quality, it is superioi 

 to all other varieties. It grows late in the fall, 

 and is not liable to run to seed. 



Plant? on an Acre.— Plants a foot apart, each 

 way, would give 43,560 on an acre — 



\}i fee; 19,3fi0 



2 feet lii,S90 



2^ feet 6,969 



feet 4,840 



feet, 

 feet, 

 feet, 

 feet, 

 feet, 

 feet. 



8,530 

 2,722 

 1,742 

 1.-210 

 68 

 435 



12 feet 30» 



15 feet 198» 



18 feet 134* 



20 feet 10 



23 feet 90 T 



25 feet : 69 



30 feet 48 



85 feet 85 



40 feet 2T 



45 feet 21 



Good vs. Poor Dairy Cows. — A recent writer* 

 says: "A good dairy cow, if well kept, should pay 

 hei keeping and clear her body every yea**; and a 

 poor one will do neither. And in the present de 

 preciated state of stock, a great part do not pay 

 their keeping." He claims it al. comes of seilingi 

 the best calves — of failing to breed /br a purpose 

 and studying the science of breeding, which is trw 

 and lamentable. 



