ROOT CULTURE, 37 



feed their cows, fatten their pigs and poultry, and 

 form an article of foreign commerce. The turnip 

 has long been made an important crop in German 

 husbandry. The beet has become so important in 

 France as to engage the attention of her scientific 

 men and of the government in extending its culture 

 The field culture of the carrot has long been prof- 

 itably pursued among the Flemings. And as it re- 

 gards Great Britain, whose example in husbandry is 

 deservedly held up for our imitation, her best wri- 

 ters on rural matters, and her best practical farmers, 

 ah 1 concur in saying, that her pre-eminent success in 

 modern husbandry has been in a great measure ow- 

 ing to the introduction of turnips as a field-crop in 

 that island. We will here quote a passage from the 

 New Edinburgh Encyclopaedia in corrobo ration of 

 what we say : 



" The introduction of turnips into the husbandry 

 of Britain occasioned one of those revolutions in 

 rural art which are constantly occurring among hus- 

 bandmen, and, though the revolution came on with 

 slow and gradual steps, yet it may now be viewed 

 as completely and thoroughly established. Before 

 the introduction of this root, it was impossible to 

 cultivate light soils successfully, or to devise suitable 

 rotations for cropping them with advantage. It was 

 likewise a difficult task to support livestock through 

 the winter and spring months ; and as for feeding 

 and preparing cattle and sheep for market during 

 these inclement seasons, the practice was hardly 

 thought of, and still more rarely attempted, unless 

 where a full stock of hay was provided, which only 

 happened in a very few instances. The benefits de- 

 rived from turnip husbandry are, therefore, of great 

 magnitude : light soils are now cultivated with profit 

 and facility ; abundance of food is provided for man 

 and beast ; the earth is turned to the uses for which 

 it is physically calculated ; and, by being suitably 

 cleaned with this preparatory crop, a bed is provided 



