TURNIP. 



procured, which is not only of a more vigorous quality, but 

 which is capable of vegetating wit'i lefs moiilure, and which 

 produces ftronger and more hcal'.l.y plants, and, of courfe, 

 better crops. Tlie cuftom of tranfplanting the whole of the 

 turnips in this intension is laid to be too expenfive, as well 

 as injurious in fome refpefts. 



In either of thefe modes very j;iod turn'p-feed is capable 

 of being raifed and provided. When the fee'!, in thefe 

 cafes, is become fully ripe, the crops are moftly re;iped by 

 cutting part of the items with the feed-pods upon them, 

 afterwards tying them up into wads or (heaves, which, when 

 property dry, are carried and put into long narrow ftacks, 

 to be kept through the winter, and threflied out near the 

 time when wanted in the fpring. As in this way, however, 

 much feed is liable to be (bed and loft, on account of its 

 readinefs to efcape from the pods in which it is contained, it 

 is probably a much better praftice to have it immediately 

 threfhed out, either upon a cloth in the place where it grew, 

 or in fome other more convenient fpot, being then put into 

 proper bags, and placed in a fituation which is perfeftly 

 dry. 



As crops of the feed kind are fubjeft to injury and lofs in 

 many different ways, the quantity of produce muft be dif- 

 ferent under different circumitances ; but it may be faid in 

 common to be about twenty or twenty-four bufhels on the 

 acre. And as the price of turnip-feed is feldom lefs than 

 feven or eight (hillings the bu(hel, from the great demand 

 for it, the culture may feem at firft to be very beneficial ; 

 but from the exhaufting nature of the crop, the lofs in that 

 of the grain, and the quantity of manure afterwards necef- 

 fary, it is probable that turnips can only be feeded to ad- 

 vantage in particular circumftances of foil and fituation. 

 As often as poflible, however, the farmer (hould raife his 

 own, as that of the (hops is in general lefs to be depended 

 upon. 



Jpplicatien and Ufe of the Crop — The turnip is a plant 

 or root that is capable of being made ufe of in different in- 

 tentions, but the principal are thofe of feeding, fupporting, 

 and fattening diifferent forts of live-ftock, in which there are 

 great differences in the praftices of different diftrifts of the 

 kingdom ; but the moft economical and benelicial modes of 

 applying and confuming it, under different circumftances of 

 foils, fituations, and animals, have probably not yet been 

 fufficiently inveftigated and afccrtained by thofe engaged in 

 the cultivation of the root. It is ftated by a praftical 

 writer, that though few trials have been made to determine 

 the particular ftate or condition in which thefe roots afford 

 the greateft and moft fuitable proportion of nouri(hment for 

 different animals that are fed on them, it would feem, from 

 their containing a much larger quantity of rich nutrient 

 matter in their frefh ftate, before being taken from the 

 ground, than afterwards when removed and packed up, as 

 fliewn by the (hrinking and lofs of weight that takes place, 

 to be a more faving and ufeful praftice, particularly where 

 the nature and fituation of the land and feafon will admit of 

 it, as on dry lands in moft of the fouthern parts of the 

 country, to confume them under the former rather than the 

 latter circumftances ; but in more cold and expofed fitua- 

 tions, as in many places in the northern diftrnfts of the 

 kingdom, and wherever the lands are inclined to moifture 

 or heavinefs, as the roots may be greatly injured by frotts 

 and other caufes, and tlie animals receive much harm from 

 the coldnefs of fuch places, while feeding on them, as well 

 as the lands be much damaged by their treading, >t ™ay be 

 better to eat them under the latter conditions. There are 

 likewife other fituations and circumftances, it is fuppoicd, 

 in which it may be particularly nepeffary, as well as bene- 



ficial, to make ufe of turnips after being drawn, removed, 

 and ftorcd up, as thofe where it is difficult or inconvenient 

 to raife and provide other forts of green food for the winter 

 and fpring ufe of ftock. 



Wherever crops of this fort are, however, taken from 

 the land, to be confumed by animals in clher pl-ces, as from 

 their nature and large growth they m 'ft e.-.hr.uit aad deprive 

 it of its fertility greatly, it will conftantly be prt per and 

 neceffar/ to return an equivalent in mauur^, tiherwife the 

 harm done in this way may more than equa' the benefits of 

 the crop. And in all fuch cafes, the tap-.' ots and other 

 wafte parts (hould always be removed and left on the land, 

 that neither foil nor manure may be taken away, by i '.hering 

 to them. 



In cafes where the lands are properly dry, in a hig'.i fta; j 

 of fertility, and under good management, it may often t;.' : 

 be an advantageous and economical praftice to have a partial 

 recourfe to both the methods, by having one part of the 

 crop drawn, removed, and eaten off the land, in fome ad- 

 joining convenient place for the purpofe, and the other fed 

 off on the field where they grow; as, by fuch means, a 

 much larger quantity of land may be benefited and im- 

 proved, without injury to the crops that may afterwards be 

 grown on the turnip land. 



In this mode of improving lands, a great deal more rs yet 

 probably capable of being done than has hitherto been the 

 cafe, when its vaft utility and powers in different ways are 

 fully confidered. 



Some difference in the ufe and manner of confuming this 

 fort of crop hkewife takes place, from the kind of ftock to 

 which it is applied ; as when ufed in the rearing, keeping, 

 and fattening neat-cattle ftock, it is, for the moft part, 

 pulled up and eaten, either after having been removed to 

 fome proper dry field or fpot of ground of the grafs or 

 ftubble kind, or to fome (hed or other building near the 

 ftraw-yard or feeding-houfe ; in the latter cafe, being given 

 the ftock in bins, troughs, or cribs, or placed before the 

 heads of the cattle in ftalls, when tied up, that are contrived 

 for the purpofe. The latter of thefe two modes of eating 

 the root is fuppofed the better, though lefs frequently made 

 ufe of, as there is the leaft poffible wafte, while, at the fame 

 time, the dung and urine of the cattle are the moft exten- 

 fively and effeaually preferved. In the former of thefe 

 methods, the ufual praftice is firft to admit the fattening 

 ftock, and then to allow the lean to foUow them, and eat 

 up what may remain. In this way there is the leaft lofs. 



The cattle are moftly confined wholly upon the roots, 

 except when prevented by the ftate of the feafon, when they 

 are confumed in other places, or as above. In fome cafes, 

 the lands to which the roots are removed, m this method ot 

 feeding, are thofe intended to be ufed for other crops in tlie 

 enfuinff year, by which the different fields, of courfe, in 

 their turn, have the benefit of being improved in this way 

 moft conveniently ; and the praftice is found more uleiul 

 than feeding them on the land where they grow. The roots, 

 in thefe cafes and modes of confuming them, (hould not be 

 fcattered over the ground in too thick a manner ; as, where 

 that is the cafe, much lofs muft nece(farily be fuftained by 

 their being crufhed and bruifed by the feet of the ftock, 

 while upon them. , , j r„ »„ 



Thefe feveral different praftices are much hadrecour(e to 

 in fome fouthern turnip diftrifts, where great nunibe" of 

 different forts of this kind of ftock are every year fattened 



"in cX where milk is a principal objeft with the farmer 

 this plant and root are alfo capable of great ufe ^s a proper 

 juicy food for cows, care b^ing taken that the de«yed 



