TRANSPLANTING OF EOOT AND FORAGE CROPS. 341 



formation of roots brought about by the mechanical con- 

 dition of the soil in which they are grown; a condition 

 which exercises a much more important and powerful 

 influence upon the growth than is generally imagined or 

 conceded. The diseases of turnips, for instance, known as 

 " finger and toe,'' which, as we have already pointed out, 

 must not be confounded with the disease known as 

 " anbury," too often done, and which is a mere mal- 

 formation or abnormal state in which the root, in place of 

 growing in its usual form, sends out all kinds of shoots, 

 forks, and contorted roots. There are two points upon 

 which considerable difference of opinion exists, first, 

 whether the tap root or extreme end of the root should be 

 nipped off before the plant is transplanted, and second, 

 whether the transplanting is better done in wet or damp 

 than in dry weather, or, in other words, with a wet damp, or 

 with a dry condition of soil. There is no doubt that there 

 is a practical difficulty in transplanting when the root is 

 very long, for if the root is doubled or twisted up so as to 

 admit of the plant being transplanted without a deep dibble 

 hole being made, there is a great chance of abnormal 

 development of the root being the result. It can scarcely 

 be said that the tap root is a useless appendage, or it would 

 not be there if it was, its office in the plant is an im- 

 portant one, and must not be overlooked. Indeed we 

 have a notion that this plan of nipping or taking off, 

 of the long root before the plant is dibbled in, arises 

 from a desire to save time in making a deep enough 

 dibble hole. Not seldom do we find that a method 

 of working is done primarily and specially to save 

 time or trouble, and thereafter a theory or opinion is 

 brought up to prove that the practice is a good one. 

 There is no doubt that it would be a much better plan to 

 cut off or nip off a long root than to insert that root in too 

 short a dibble hole, and thereby double it up. As to the 

 second point, whether it is tetter to transplant in dry or 

 in damp soil, there is, as we said, much diversity of 

 opinion. Cobbett was a great advocate for the transplant- 



