TURNIPS. 137 



ter to keep out the frost. When the pit is finished, get 

 a load of dry straw and cover the pit evenly all over, sii 

 or eight inches thick, and at the same time commence to 

 cover it with earth, working from the surface of the land 

 upwards. If, in doing this, you find any part where the 

 straw is too thin, add more straw. Just earth enough to 

 hide the straw should be put on. Make the surface of 

 the soil smooth, so that it will readily shed rain, and the 

 work is done for the present. 



Later, however, it may be necessary to give the pit an- 

 other covering of straw and earth, and before it is left, 

 plow around it half a dozen times, to the width of five or 

 six feet on both sides of the pit, turning the furrows to- 

 wards the pit. This is very important. You cannot plow 

 too much or too deeply, as loose earth is an excellent non- 

 conductor of heat, and the severest frost will do little 

 more in any single night than crust over the surface of 

 this repeatedly plowed land. When cold weather really 

 sets in, plow around the heap again, two or three times; 

 put on a thin layer of straw, say four or five inches 

 thick, and cover with the loose soil thrown up by the 

 plow. You will find that the plow, properly handled, will 

 save more than half the labor, and what is better still, 

 the work is likely to be more thoroughly done. 



This last covering should be delayed until cold weather 

 sets in, and it is all the better if the first coat of earth 

 on the pit is frozen solid. I have more than once put on 

 this second covering during a severe storm, with the ther- 

 mometer almost down to zero. I once had to work with 

 every man and team on the farm to help until ten o'clock 

 at night to cover my pits, so suddenly and savagely came 

 on the storm. We had to keep the teams plowing rap- 

 idly around the pits to furnish loose unfrozen soil. There 

 was no let-up for many weeks. Had we not done this, 

 the loss would have been very great; as it was, not a root 

 or potato was injured. I do not advocate delaying the 



