TURNIP. 



depend on this, than even on the nature or qualities of the 

 foil. 



In the view of bringing land into a ftate of fuitable pre- 

 paration for this fort ot crop, much breaking down and re- 

 dudion of its parts are, of courfe, requilite. This fort of 

 breaking and pulverization is fuppofed to be neceffary and 

 beneficial in many different ways, as by rendering the land 

 more penetrable to the roots of the plants, by promoting 

 the growth of tlie fmall weeds more fully on the furface, 

 and thereby making them capable of being more perfectly 

 eradicated, and the young turnip plants, of courfe, be lefs 

 endangered by them ; while, at the fame time, a more fine 

 and mellow bed of mouldy earth is provided for the recep- 

 tion of the turnip-feed, and its vegetation and growth ren- 

 dered more quick and llrong in confequence of the more 

 equal diffufion of moifture that muft take place among the 

 parts of the foil. Without fuch a ftate of mould in the 

 foil being produced, it is found to be in vain to expedt 

 good crops of this fort. In order to provide this ftate of 

 preparation in the foil, it is the praftice in fome of thofe 

 dillritts where turnip hufiandry is earned on in the moft 

 complete and fucccfsful manner, when the feed is to be put 

 in on a fallow, to have recourfe to three, four, and fre- 

 quently five ploughings or ftirrings of the land, having the 

 cloddy parts of it well broken down, between the times, 

 by harrowing in different direftions, and the occafional ufe 

 of the roller or other fuch means, as by thefe modes almoft 

 every particle of the foil becomes divided, and expofed com- 

 pletely to the influence and aftion of the atmofphere, and 

 perfedly aerated and faturated with moifture. In thefe 

 cafes, fome advife that the firft operation (hould be performed 

 towards the ciofe of the year in a (hallow manner, fo as 

 merely to take off the rough furface ; the land may then re- 

 main in this fituation until juft before the beginning of the 

 fpring, when it fhould be well broken and reduced by har- 

 rowing, and then crofs-ploughed to the full depth. When 

 the land is weedy, it (hould be again broken down by the 

 harrow in the courfe of a little time ; but when clean, it is 

 better to remain in its rough ftate. In this condition it 

 may then be left until the fpring be a httle advanced, when 

 it fhould have another ploughing to the full depth, and 

 where the feafon is dry, and the foil of the more heavy or 

 ftiff kind, be immediately after harrowed, but where it is 

 light, this may be deferred for a week or two. By repeat- 

 ing thefe operations fufficiently, the foil is mofUy foon 

 brought into a fine clean ftate of preparation for the crop. 



Others, however, think the firft ploughing fhould be 

 deep, and the after ones and harrowings be continued to a 

 later period, but at the fame time, fuggeft that they muft, 

 in general, be much regulated by the nature of the foil, 

 the circumftances of the feafon, and the convenience of the 

 cultivator. 



In preparing fallows, as well as other lands for turnip 

 crops, fome, in dift'erent places, befides thefe means, make 

 great ufe of fcarifiers and fcufflers, and find them particu- 

 larlv beneficial in foul ftates of them. 



Where the feed of this fort of crop is, however, to be 

 put in after corn, early peafe, tares, or other fuch crops, 

 the preparation of the land is feldom carried to fuch an ex- 

 tent of ploughings and other operations. Much fewer are 

 commonly thought lufBcient for the purpofe, as two, or 

 three at moft. 



In preparing for this crop, after the furfaces of coarfe 

 paftiire or other grafs-lands that have been long in that ftate, 

 old faintfoin lays, or downs, have been taken off and re- 

 duced by means of parir.g rjid burring them, the practice 

 is to have recourfe to onte ploughing over the lands in a 



light manner, the allies having been previoufly fpread out 

 equally on the furface. In this way the moft advantage is 

 afforded to the turnip crops, and they have been well pro- 

 duced by it. 



There are fome other local praftices of preparing for 

 turnip crops, but they need not be noticed in this place, as 

 being only in little ufe in certain cafes. 



In the application of manure in the preparing of land for 

 this crop, in the firft of thefe ways, and where it is of the 

 calcareous kind, fuch as lime, maile, or other fimilar forts, 

 it may be the beft mode to make ufe of it after the fecond 

 or third ploughing, efpecially in the former of thefe kinds, 

 in the proportion of from one and a half to about three 

 chaldrons, or thirty-two bufhels ; and in that of the latter, 

 trom eight to ten or fifteen ordinary cart-loads to the acre, 

 as the circumftances and nature of the land may be ; as in 

 this manner fuch matters may become the moft perfeftly 

 blended and incorporated with the mould of the foil. Each 

 of thefe forts of fubftances has been found highly ufeful, in 

 this way, in feveral different diftrifts of the kingdom. 



It is, however, clear, from the fuccefs of different culti- 

 vators of this fort of crop, that fubftances of the dung- 

 kind, where they can be fully fupplied, and ufed in the pre- 

 paration of the land, or other ways, are the moft fuited to 

 the growth of the root. And that for fuch foils as polTefs 

 a proper degree of lightnefs, and are in a fine mellow ftate 

 of mould, thofe wliich are in the more reduced, or rotten 

 fhort condition, may be the moft fuitable, as they are capa- 

 ble of being the moft intimately mixed and incorporated 

 with them ; but that where they are more clofe and heavy, 

 the longer and lefs reduced kinds may be more proper and 

 beneficial, as they will not only tend to preferve thefe foils 

 in a more open and loofe ftate, but by their more gradual 

 decay in them, render the earth more friable and mellow. 

 Some, however, think them bell applied in the medium 

 ftate between thefe extremes. This fort of manure, when 

 ufed in preparing land in this intention, fhould vary, in fome 

 meafure, not only as the nature of the foil may be, but ac- 

 cording to the manner in which the crop may be cultivated : 

 in general, however, it (hould be put into the foil as nearly 

 as poffible to the period at which the feed is fown ; as, in 

 this cafe, in confequence of the new fermentation that ne- 

 ceffarily takes place in the foil, the crop receives the moft 

 benefit from it. When, therefore, the crop is to be put 

 ia, in the broad-caft manner, the dung may be fpread out 

 equally over the land, and be turned in with the feed- 

 furrow ; though fome advife it to be hghtly turned in 'by 

 the pbughing that precedes the feed-earth, and to be well 

 intermixed with the mould of the foil, by harrowing im- 

 mediately before that earth be given. The former would 

 appear, however, to be the better praftice, efpecially when 

 the manure is in a fufficiently reduced ftate, as the plants 

 will have the more full advantage of it. The quantity muft; 

 neceffarily depend in a great meafure upon the different cir- 

 cumftances of the foil, and the richnefs of the dungy m.ii. 

 terial ; but lefs than from ten to twelve good three -liorfe 

 cart-loads can feldom be made ufe of with advantage on 

 the acre. 



Where earthy and other matters, in mixture with dung, 

 are had recourfe to in this way, after being well prepared, 

 as is fometimes the cafe, the proportion fliould moftly be 

 confiderably larger. . 



In cafes where the crops are put in, in the ridge or drill 

 manner, as the manure is wholly confined to the mi°'j''^ 

 pai-ts of the ndged-up earth, and does not occupy all the 

 fnperficial portions of the land, a fomewhat Icls quantity ot 

 it may aufwcr the purpofe ; though a full and rather liberal 

 3 M 2 allowance 



