31z THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



worked with the spade, as it is from the fineness 

 of the parts that the turnip draws both growth and 

 nourishment. 



The ground being selected, previously turned up, 

 and levelled, a bed or beds, if in private gardens, 

 should be marked out four or five feet wide, on 

 which the seed for a first crop may be sown to- 

 wards the end of March or beginning of April. 

 The seed should be sown rather thin (half an ounce 

 or an ounce of seed will produce a considerable 

 number of roots), when, after being lightly and 

 regularly raked in, the surface may be levelled over 

 with the back of a spade. The seed will soon be 

 up ; and, should there be any appearance of that 

 destructive insect the fly, the bed must be thinly 

 covered either with fern or any dry mulchy stuff, 

 which, at so early a season, is preferable to soot or 

 lime. 



As soon as the plants have formed their rough 

 leaf, they must be hoed out to the distance of four 

 or five inches, after which they will want little or 

 nothing done to them ; and, should the weather 

 have proved favourable, young turnips will most 

 likely be fit for use towards the end of May, and 

 perhaps sooner ; but, as before observed, much de- 

 pends on the weather and situation. 



A second sowing in beds (as it often happens 

 that many of the fint start for seed) should be 

 made about the middle of May. For these two 

 sowings, seed, either of the Dutch or Six Weeks 

 variety, should be chosen, as they are principally 

 wanted for early use. 



For a more permanent crop a third sowing will 



