310 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



as nearly of an equal size as possible, being taken, and with 

 roots and stems short. As many plants as will suffice for half 

 a day's work should only be taken up at a time, and tied up 

 in small bundles. In taking up the plants, the roots should 

 be kept whole. In place of tying them in bundles, they 

 may be placed gently in shallow. baskets. The holes for 

 the reception of the plants should be made wide, so as to 

 admit of the plants being put in without doubling up or 

 breaking off the roots. The earth should be pressed up care- 

 fully to the root. 



148. On the Transplanting of Root and Forage Crops. 

 In a preceding paragraph we adverted to the important 

 purposes to which the process of transplanting might be 

 made subservient in the culture of various crops of the 

 farm, a few remarks, therefore, in connexion with it will 

 here serve a useful purpose. Transplanting, in the usual 

 economy of the farm, is only thought of in connexion with 

 the filling up of the blanks in the drills of the root crops, 

 and not often, we regret to say, even for this purpose, use- 

 ful as it is. Transplanting has, however, a much wider 

 utility than this, and in view of the growing importance of 

 the cabbage, and in some districts the kohl rabi crop, we 

 may here very usefully devote a few paragraphs to the 

 consideration of its more important points. And here, be- 

 fore dismissing the subject of filling up blanks in root crops 

 with plants of a corresponding character grown in seed-beds, 

 we would allude to the fallacy, we may call it a popular 

 one, that transplanted turnips or mangolds or beets will 

 not grow. All will grow, and grow well, if the transplant-- 

 ing has been properly done, although it is doubtless true 

 that beet or mangold transplanted will grow better than 

 swedes. To ensure the swedes doing well, we have found 

 it essential that the bulb should be fairly formed, however 

 small that may be. But if any doubt exists as' to trans- 

 planting of swedes to fill up blanks in swede drills, the 

 difficulty can be got over by putting in beet or mangold, 

 kohl rabi or cabbage plants in place of them. And here 

 we would allude for a brief space to the subject of mal- 



