108 



COOL SEASON CROPS 



Ruta bagas are known also as Swedish turnips or '' Swedes." 

 They require from four to six weeks longer to complete their 

 growth than do the coromon or flat turnips. This makes it im- 

 possible to grow them as a spring crop in latitudes where the 

 summers are warm. Their chief importance is as a fall crop for 

 winter storage. They do not thrive except in northern latitudes, 

 for their period of growth is too long to enable them to adapt 

 themselves to regions where the summers are hot. Although 

 they will stand somewhat higher temperature than will flat turnips, 

 they need the cool nights of the North to develop their character- 

 istic sweetness and flavor. When grown in central localities they 

 are likely to be both small and bitter. 



Fig. 60. — Well-grown plant of kohlrabi. The swollen central portion is the edible part. 



The seed is usually sot\ti in drills and the plants thinned. 

 Sometimes they are transplanted if the original stand is uneven 

 or a larger plantation desired. Usually the rows are far enough 

 apart to permit of tillage with a horse. The plants should stand 

 about a foot apart in the row. The crop is thoroughly cultivated 

 and even some hand hoeing practiced. 



Ruta bagas constitute an important crop in certain northern 

 localities^ where the climate is cool and the soil is moist. They 



