126 GARDENING FOB YOUNG AND OLD. 



and November; they grow quickly, but contain compara- 

 tively little nutriment. I have known a large crop that 

 grew very rapidly to contain ninety-five per cent, of 

 water; in other words, one ton of the turnips contained 

 only one hundred pounds of real food. An animal eat- 

 ing such turnips, has therefore to take in nineteen 

 pounds of water to get one pound of real food; no wonder 

 such turnips can grow rapidly, and no wonder they will 

 not keep long. 



The second class, of which the Yellow Aberdeen and 

 Yellowstone are good examples, requires to be sown 

 earlier. They will grow larger and keep later than those 

 of the first class. 



Class third includes all the varieties known as Swede 

 turnips, or Ruta-bagas, they are essentially winter varie- 

 ties. They must be sown earli- 

 er than the other classes, and 

 require richer land; they are 

 far more nutritious than the 

 others, and will keep late into 

 the following spring. I wish 

 this matter to be understood. 

 People often ask for the best 

 variety of turnips; they might 

 just as well ask for the best 

 variety of apples. If you ask 

 which is the best summer ap- 

 Fig. 36. pie, the best early or late au- 



IMPEBIAL PURPLE TOP SWEDE, tumn apple, or which is the 

 best wirtter apple, an experienced fruit-grower might be 

 able to answer the question. And so it is with turnips, 

 we have early and late autumn kinds, and winter or 

 early spring kinds; the latter class being Euta-bagas or 

 Swede turnips. 



The cultivation of such varieties as the Strap-leaf is 

 often no cultivation at all. The seed is scattered on any 



