TURNIP. 



be feen in a pamphlet " On the Failure of Turnip-Crope," 

 by the Rev. H. B. Staccy, but which we have not room to 

 introduce here. 



After-cuhure of the Crop. — It is of much confequence in 

 the produAion of good crops of this fort, to have this part 

 of the culture of them well performed, and at fuch times as 

 are moll fuited for promotuig the grovifth of the young 

 plants, as well as preventing thofe of the weed kind from 

 rifing and injuring them by the fhadc and obftruftion which 

 they produce ; as without confiderable attention in thefe re- 

 fpedls, the labour and expence employed in preparing the 

 land, and putting in the crops, mult, in a great meafure, be 

 thrown away, from the want of a fufficiently adequate re- 

 turn being afforded. This culture is conftantly to be ac- 

 complilhed by means of the hoe, in fome way or other. 

 Where the crop has been put into the foil in the broad-caft 

 manner, the hand-hoe only can be made ufe of for the pur- 

 pofe ; but where the feed has been fown in rows by the drill, 

 or in other ways, and a fufficient fpace of interval allowed, 

 thofe of the horfe kind may be employed, either alone, or 

 in addition, after the plants have been properly fet out in the 

 hand manner, to fuitable diftances. 



It is the common praftice, when the plants have produced 

 four or five leaves, or when they cover a circle of three or 

 four inches in diameter, which moftly happens, in favourable 

 feafons, in the courfe of about a month or fix weeks from 

 the time of the feed being put in, to begin the different ope- 

 rations in this fort of work. In the firft of which, fuch 

 plants as ftand too clofe are to be ftruck out, to leave the 

 others at a fuitable diftance, according as the circumftances 

 of the feafon, the nature of the foil, the period of fowing, 

 and the ufe to which the crop is to be applied, may be. 

 When the feafon is hot and dry, the ftriking out of the 

 plants in the firft hoeings fhould not, however, be fuch as to 

 leave them at too great a diftance ; as by keeping the remain- 

 ing plants pretty clofe together, the moifture may be better 

 preferved in the land, and the crop rendered more fecure ; 

 but in rich foils, when early fown, and when intended to be 

 confumed by ftock at an early period, a greater ftriking out 

 of plants at firft may be advantageous. In the pradlice of 

 fome, the moft ufual cuftom is to leave the plants in the firft 

 hoeings at the diftance of from fix to eight inches from 

 each other, but others prefer a ftill greater diftance. In the 

 fecond hoeing, which fhould be performed in the courfe of 

 about a fortnight, or three weeks, from the firft, according 

 as there may be a neceffity, the plants that are to remain 

 for a crop may be left at the diftances of from eight or nine 

 to twelve or more inches in the broad-caft praftice, and at 

 thofe of from nine or ten to fifteen, or a greater number, in 

 the rows where the drill method is employed. 



In thefe fecond hoeings, the mould between the plants 

 fliould always be well ftirred, in order that it may be ren- 

 dered perfeftly mellow and well aerated, and any weeds that 

 may have rifen be effeftually deftroyed. The future hoeings 

 that may be neceffary in crops of this fort are to be regulated 

 by the particular circumftances of the cafes ; but the mould 

 Ihould never be allowed to become too ftiff and compad about 

 the roots of the plants, or any weeds be fuffered to interfere 

 with them. 



It is the praftice in fome places, efpecially with the broad- 

 caft crops, to pafs a light harrow over the land once in a 

 place, as foon as the plants are fufficiently ftrong, in order 

 to render the firft hoeing more effeftual ; and even in parti- 

 cular cafes, where they pufti forward rapidly, it is made ufe 

 of a fecond time in the contrary direftion. In performing 

 the work, however, great care is neceffary, particularly 

 when the plants are tliin upon the ground, as otherwifc too 



many of them may be dragged up, and the crop be much 

 injured from the want of a fufficient plant. 



In the ridged crops in the latter of the above drilled tur- 

 nip diftrifts, it is the praftice, when the plants have got four 

 leaves, to begin to hoe, leaving the plants at only eight or 

 nine inches diftance in the rows ; and as they have fo much 

 room fideways, or from row to row, the hoers go in that 

 manner and pull out the furplus plants, weeds, and other 

 matters into the furrow or hollow fpace between ridge and 

 ridge, and the turnip plants are left as regular as if they had 

 been planted out with the greateft care and exaftnefs, the 

 work being performed by women and children at but a 

 trifling expence. After this, when the plants left have per- 

 feftly recovered and eftabliftied themfelves again in the foil, 

 as is moftly the cafe in about eight or ten days, the earth is 

 taken from the rows where the turnip plants ftand, by a 

 light plough contrived for the purpofe, and turned upon the 

 pulled and ftruck-out plants and weeds left by the hand- 

 hoers, in the furrows or intervals of the ridges. And when 

 they have once more recovered themfelves from this part of 

 the work, and are become again in a vigorous ftate, or 

 when other circumftances render it neceffary ; the mould, 

 which was in the former procefs turned from the turnip 

 rows, is now divided and laid up equally to the different 

 rows by the fame tool, or a fimilar one with a double mould- 

 board. By thefe means, where the land is clean and free 

 from weeds, the work is completed ; but when the contrary 

 is the cafe, additional hoeings and ploughings are given, 

 according as the ftate and other circumftances of the land 

 may be. 



But in the former of thefe diftrifts, where the horfe as 

 well as the hand methods are had recourfe to, they proceed 

 in a different manner. In the former or horfe mode, when 

 the turnip plants are from one to three or four inches high, 

 or when weeds begin to appear, a fmall light common 

 plough of the fwing kind, drawn by one horfe, goes along 

 one fide of the ridge or drill, and turns off the earth from 

 the young plants, and returns on the other fide, doing the 

 fame, leaving the plants ftanding on ftiarp ridges. But 

 fometimes, inftead of this plough, the work of turning the 

 earth off from the different fides of the plants on the ridges 

 is done by a tool of the fame nature, mounted with two 

 (harp coulters, which cut or pare from both fides at once, 

 and which on fmooth fine land performs the work equally 

 well and much more expeditioufly. It is indeed an excel- 

 lent tool for the purpofe, when properly formed and made 

 ufe of in the work. 



In the latter or hand method of hoeing, which is had re- 

 courfe to two or three days after the earth is turned off 

 from the plants, the hoers go to work, making ufe of a hoe 

 of from five to eight inches in bre.idth, and at one ftroke 

 acrofs the ridge, cut out the weeds and unneceffary turnip 

 plants, and leave the crops fufficiently thipned and fet 

 out. 



When the crop has been horfe and hand hoed in this 

 manner, the field is left in that ftate for ten or fifteen days, 

 and if weeds grow fall, the fame work is repeated. In or- 

 dinary circumftances, the whole work of horfe and hand 

 hoeing only cofts about Is. the acre. 



The turnips are now to be furrowed, or earthed up, which 

 is done after they have been clean hoed, and are beginning 

 to bottle, by^ having the earth lying between the rows, 

 which was turned off as above, from both fides of the 

 plants, again laid up to them by means of a double mo\ild- 

 boarded plough with one horfe. The whole work is now 

 finilhed, except only removing any weeds that may after- 

 wards arife. 



It 



