TURNIPS. 



ings, to destroy the weeds which 

 have sprung up. If tlie subsoil is 

 dry, or the land has been thoroughly ! 

 drained, the seed may be drilled m \ 

 rows from two feet to thirty inches | 

 apart, with bones or any equivalent ; 

 artificial manure on the tiat surface : | 

 a pound of seed the acre is a good al- j 

 lowance. The turnip seed can scarce- i 

 ly fail to vegetate soon. Less dan- ' 

 ger arises from dry weather than ifi 

 they were on the top of a ridge, and 

 the intervals can be readily stirred 

 by the plough, or any other instru- 

 ment adapted to the purpose. The 

 manure, which has had time to in- 

 corporate with the soil and to impart 

 to It the various gaseous products of 

 its d-ecomposition, is in the best state 

 to nourish the young plant, until it 

 can push forth its roots ; a more rap- 

 id growth is ensured, which is the 

 best preservative against the fly ; and 

 experience has proved that this is a 

 much more certain way to ensure a 

 good crop of turnips, especially of 

 Swedes, than the old method of put- 

 ting all the manure immediately un- 

 der the seed in the rows, where it 

 often remains inert if dry weather 

 comes on soon after the seed is sown. 

 The quantity of manure put on in au- 

 tumn, or very early in spring, depends 

 on the means of the farm. If ten 

 cubic yards of short dung can be af- j 

 forded per acre, the crop of turnips j 

 will amply repay it ; and tw enty bush- 

 els of bone dust or less per acre will 

 be sufficient to drill with the seed. • 

 Long fresh manure may be safely 

 ploughed in before winter, which 

 would be very improper in a light 

 soil if used in summer. This will be ; 

 rotten before the turnips are sown, 

 and all the expense of forming dung- ' 

 hills and turning them over is saved. 

 Where farm-yard manure is scarce, 

 half the above quantity may be used, 

 and a fair crop of turnips may still be 

 expected. We have ourselves fol- 

 low'ed this method with abundant 

 manure, and also with half the usual 

 quantity, the success being always 

 in proj;ortion to the quantity of farm- 

 yard manure. 



" The early vegetation of the seed 

 812 



is essential to a goop crop of turnips. 

 In its young and tender state it is 

 liable to a variety of accidents. Its 

 great enemy is the turnip fly {Halhcci 

 nemorum), which appears always in 

 great quantities if there is any con- 

 tinuance of dry weather. The more! 

 frequently turnips are sown n the 

 same ground, the more abundant is 

 the fly ; but where the surface has 

 been pared and burned there is sel- 

 dom any loss from this cause. It is 

 generally found that in moist weath- 

 er the fly does comparatively little 

 harm, as then the vegetation is rapid, 

 and the plant, when once it has put 

 forth its rough leaves, is considered 

 safe. Whatever, therefore, accel- 

 erates the vegetation will secure the 

 growth of the turnip. In very dry 

 seasons, if water is at hand, it is well 

 worth while to water the newly-sown 

 rows by means of a common water- 

 cart ; and if some liquid manure be 

 mixed with the water, the effect will 

 be astonishing. By means of two 

 leathern hose two rows may readily 

 be watered at once ; and if the pond 

 or stream be not above half a mile 

 off, a vast extent of ground may thus 

 be watered in one day. Nothing 

 brings on vegetation so fast as dilu- 

 ted liquid manure, care being taken 

 that It be not too strong. The best 

 time for watering is in the evening, 

 or early in the morning ; and if in a 

 fine summer's night the water-cart 

 were used before daylight, there 

 would be no great inconvenience to 

 the horse or his driver. It some- 

 times happens in soils rather com- 

 pact, that a crust is formed on the 

 surface which has been harrowed fine 

 and rolled, and this impedes the ve- 

 getation by excluding the air neces- 

 sary to germination. In this case, 

 no better remedy can be applied than 

 watering, which softens the crust 

 and lets liie young plant through. As 

 soon as the turnip plant has put forth 

 its rough leaves, the intervals be- 

 tween the rows should be stirred with 

 a light plough drawn up by one horse. 

 The plough can be made to go with- 

 in an inch or two of the plants, throw- 

 ing the earth from the row into the 



