TURNIP. 



allowance fliould always be made, as the fafety and fuccefs 

 of the crops depend much upon the rapidity and llrength 

 with which the young plants are at firft puftied forward by 

 fach means. 



In whatever way this fort of manure is made ufe of in this 

 preparation, it fhould conftantly be apphed in an even 

 manner, and be turned into the foil as foon as poflible after- 

 wards ; as where this is not the cafe, great lofs mull often 

 be fuftained by the diffipation of the more liquid pai-ts 

 of it. 



There are many different praftices, in the preparation and 

 application of this kind of manure, recurred to in dif- 

 ferent diftrifts, in ufmg it for the purpofe of raifing turnip 

 crops, as may be feen by confulting the Correfted Agri- 

 cuhural Report of the County of Norfolk ; and different 

 kinds of it are fometimes preferred by cultivators, as tliat 

 from fattening beads, hogs, and the fheep-fold. But 

 good clean dung of any fort is capable of anfwering the 

 purpofe. 



The dungs of rabbits, poultn,', and pigeons are occafion- 

 ally ufed with fuccefs in the raifing of crops of this fort, 

 after being rendered dr)-, and difperfed over the furface of 

 the land in an equal manner. They are moftly ufed for this 

 purpofe in the quantities of from about twenty to thirty 

 bufhels to the acre, juft before the time of fowing the feed. 

 And as they require to be put into the foil to only a flight 

 depth, harrowing may, in many cafes, be fuiScient for the pur- 

 pofe, or a very light and fhallow ploughing. Rape-cake has 

 long been employed as a manure in fome diftrifts, in prepar- 

 ing for turnips, as that of Norfolk, by having it fown over tlie 

 land in a coarfely reduced ftate, five or fix weeks before the 

 time at which the feed is to be put into the foil, in the quan- 

 tity of about a ton to three or four acres, and leaving it fo, 

 or turning it in very lightly at the period of fowing. But 

 it is confidered a great improvement by fome, and praftifed 

 to much extent by Mr. Coke, of the above diftrift, to have 

 it ground by proper mills into a perfeft ftate of powder ; 

 and applied at the fame time with the feed over it, in the 

 drills or fmall openings in the land made for the purpofe. 

 It is effefted by a contrivance of the drill kind, that contains 

 alternate divifions, with fmall and large cups for dehvering 

 the feed as well as the cake into the fame drills. The 

 ftream of powdered cake is thus rendered conftant and regu- 

 lar, the proper cups and funnels being capable of ready ap- 

 plication. In this way, it is not neceffary to have the cake 

 applied before hand, and a ton is fufiicient for fix acres, by 

 which there is a confiderable faving in labour as well as the 

 material. It is faid to anfwer perfeAly in the praftice, 

 though fome diflike it. 



Different other forts of manures that can be reduced into 

 a powdery ftate may likewife be employed in this manner, 

 in the growth of this crop, with great economy and advan- 

 tage in many cafes. Malt-duft or combs too, might be 

 made ufe of in the fame way with advantage, though it is 

 commonly applied over the furface in the proportion of 

 about twenty facks, of tliree bufhels each, to the acre. 



Sheep-folding, in fome diftrifts, is ufed as a means of pro- 

 viding manure for the growth of turnips, from the time of 

 firft ploughing up the land, to that at which the feed -earth 

 is given. From the treading and confolidating of the foil 

 fo much in thefe cafes, it may however be beil only to fold 

 during dry weather, and always to plough over the land 

 in a light manner as foon after the fheep are removed as 

 polfiblc. 



The quantity of feed which is neceffary muft be different 

 in different cafes, as a great deal muft conftantly depend on 

 the nature and quality of the foil, the period of fowing, and 



the manner and circumllances under which it is put into the 

 ground. In fome good foiled diftrifts in the fouthern parts 

 of the country, where the turnip culture in the broad-caft 

 method is carried on to a confiderable extent, the quantity 

 made ufe of is commonly from about one pound to one 

 pound and an half; but on thofe of a more light, and thofe 

 of the fandy kinds, a pound is moftly found quite fufiicient ; 

 while on fome more heavy turnip foils, nearly two pounds 

 are employed. On the calcareous and loofe chalky foils 

 too, a large quantity of feed is moftly neceffary. It is 

 indeed, in common, a good pradice in fowing for turnips, 

 not to be too fparing of feed, as the unneceflary plants are 

 readily capable of being removed by the firft hoeings and 

 thinnings of the crops. 



In the culture of the crops in the ridge or drill method, 

 as is commonly praftifed m fome northern diilriits, in 

 confequence of the feed being depofited in a more regu- 

 lar and exaft manner, and the whole of the land not being 

 occupied by plants, a fomewhat lefs quantity of feed may 

 be fufficient. 



As the fuccefs in the growth of turnip crops has been 

 found to depend greatly on the quick early fprouting of the 

 feed, and the young plants being expeditioufly pufhed into 

 broad leaf, it may be ufeful to have the feed fteeped a httle 

 in water, or fome other liquid, before it is put into the 

 ground, efpecially in dry feafons ; but it mufl become ex- 

 ternally dry before it be fown in all cafes. 



Soaking the feed in ftrong-fcented oils, and drying it by 

 means of brimftone, have likewife been praftifed in the view 

 of preventing the deftruttion of the crops, but probably 

 with but Lttle fuccefs. 



The time which is moft proper for fowing crops of this 

 fort, muft be principally regulated by the intentions of the 

 farmer in refpeft to the difpofal and ufe of them ; but for 

 the general more early confumption of them, the moft 

 proper feafon for putting them in may be about the 

 beginning of the month of June ; but where it is intended 

 that the crops fliould fervc as food for ftock in the more 

 early fpring months, or at late periods, the fowing fhould take 

 place proportionately fooner or later. Indeed, where the 

 root io grown on a large fcale, it may often be of great 

 utihty and advantage, as well as very convenient, to have 

 the times of fowing ftill more confiderably varied ; as the 

 crops by fuch means not only come more fuitably in fuc- 

 ceffion to the hoe, but are likewife ready for the purpofe of 

 confumption by different forts of live-ftock, at the different 

 periods when they may be moft wanted. 



In cafes where the praftice of lamb-fuckling is had re- 

 courfe to for getting them ready foon, it is effential to have 

 crops of turnips as early as pollible, in which intention the 

 feed is to be put into the foil often a month fooner than the 

 above period; fuch land being fet afide for the purpofe as is 

 well enriched with manure, in a fine ftate of tilth, and per- 

 fectly free from weeds. 



In common, however, early fown crops of turnips are not 

 only lefs fweet and nutritious for ftock, but more expofed 

 to injury from mildew and other caufes of the fame kind, 

 than thofe which are fown later in the feafon : but though 

 this may be the cafe, the fowings in no circumftances fhould 

 be deferred fo long as that the plants cannot have time to 

 fix themfelves fully in the foil, and cover it well before 

 their growth is checked and reftrained by the coldnefs of L 

 the approaching autumn and winter feafons, as in fuch cafes I 

 the crops never anfwer well for the farmer. 



In regard to the methods of fowing or putting this fort of 

 crop into the ground, they vary in different diftrifts, but 

 are chiefly of two different kinds, the broad-caft, and the 



ridge b 



