TURNIPS. 



interval : a small harrow, which can 

 be set to any required width, is then 

 drawn between the rows, to loosen 

 tlie earth raised by the plougli : this 

 greatly increases the absorption of 

 moisture, and invigorates the young 

 plants. They may now be thinned 

 out in the rows by means of a hoe 

 about twelve inches broad. See Fn^. 

 7 ; a is the blade, which will hoe out all 

 Fig.7. 



ih 



■SI 



ilMja 



the superfluous plants, leaving little 

 tufts a foot or more apart. These 

 tufts are thinned out by hand, leaving 

 only one healthy plant in each. Thus 

 the turnips are left at a proper dis- 

 tance, and, having ample room, will 

 soon cover the rows. A horse-hoe 

 is now drawn between the rows, to 

 eradicate all weeds and keep the soil 

 open forthe fibres of the roots to shoot 

 in. It is not advisable to throw the 

 earth over the turnips, unless it be just 

 before winter, to protect them from the 

 frost ; on the contrary, in wet weath- 

 er the earth is more likely to cause the 

 turnip to rot than to help its growth. 

 The fibres which draw the nourish- 

 ment strike in the soil below, and 

 spread between the rows whercjver 

 they meet with a loose and mellow 

 earth. 



'' In order to have a heavy crop, 

 especially of Swedish turnips, or ruta 

 baga, it is advisable to sow the seed 

 early, that is, in the beginning of July ; 

 they will then have the advantage of 

 the summer showers, and be beyond 

 the reach of the fly in a very few 

 days ; and when the dry weather sets 

 in, they will already have a supply of 

 moisture in their roots, and the fibres, 

 having struck deep, will not suffer 

 any check. The only inconvenience 

 of sowing early is, that many of the 

 plants are apt to run to seed. This 

 is in many cases owing to the seed 

 which is used. If the seed has been 

 raised from fine roots which have 

 stood the winter, there is little dan- 

 ger of the plants running to seed in 

 the first summer ; but, as is often the 

 case, if small, imperfect roots are ta- 



ken, or those which run to seed in 

 autumn, then the plants will have a 

 tendency to produce seed, and not 

 bulbs. The white .\orfolk turnip and 

 its varieties should be sown about 

 midsummer, to have a good and heavy 

 crop before winter. The distance at 

 which they may lie left in thinnnig 

 them out must depend on the variety, 

 whether it has a wide-spreading top 

 or not. The best crops, both of 

 Swedes and common field turnips, 

 are generally those where the tops 

 are vigorous and moderately spread- 

 ing. A small top will not nourish a 

 large bulb ; but when the growth is 

 chiefly in the leaves, the bulbs are 

 seldom large. 



" It may be considered as a gener- 

 al rule, that the most advantageous 

 mode of consuming turnips is to draw 

 them and cut them in slices in the 

 field, to be there consumed in troughs 

 by sheep, to whom corn or oil-cake, 

 as well as hay, is regularly given. 

 When the crop of turnips is abun- 

 dant, part of them may be stored for 

 the cattle in the yard or fatting-stalls, 

 and for the milch cows and heifers. 

 They will require nothing but good 

 straw, if they have plenty of turnips, 

 and no hay whatever need be used, 

 unless it be for the horses ; and even 

 they will thrive well on Swedish tur- 

 nips and straw, with a small quanti- 

 ty of oats. Turnips are often left in 

 the field all the winter, which great- 

 ly deteriorates them. If they cannot 

 all be fed off before December, they 

 should be taken up, with the tops on, 

 and set close together, covered with 

 the tops, on a piece of grass, or in 

 some dry spot. They will thus be 

 quite sufficiently protected from the 

 frost ; or the tops may be cut off 

 within an inch of the crown of the 

 root ; and they may be stored in long 

 camps five feet wide and four feet 

 high, sloped like the roof of a house, 

 and covered with straw and earth, in 

 which state they will keep till they 

 are wanted. It is advantageous to 

 have different varieties of turnips, 

 whicli will come to perfection in suc- 

 cession ; and it is useful to sow some 

 at different times for this purpose. 



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