TURNIP. 



If av« and other parts be not given, as they are apt to com- 

 municate a difagreeable flavour to it. The offal produced 

 in fuch cafes may be given to the dry (lock, by which Httle 

 or no lofs will be fuftained in the confiimption of the root. 

 This talle in milk is faid to be completely removed by the 

 ufe of a very weak folution of nitre in water. 



Thefe roots, too, have been ufefully apphed in the feeding 

 of work-horfes, as by their means the ufual quantity of corn 

 may, it is faid, be leffened nearly one-half, and the horfes 

 rife in condition at the fame time, as well as perform their 

 labour equally well, and be more free from bowel complaints 

 than in the common manner of feeding them. When ufed 

 in this way, they (hould, however, be chopped, and have 

 dry food of fome fort joined with them in proper quantity. 



The moll cxtenfive ufe and application of this crop is, 

 however, in its confumption by iheep, particularly where 

 the more fiiitable improved forts prevail, in which the moft 

 general praftice, jvhere the lands are properly light and dry 

 for tUe purpofe, is that of confining them upon a fuitable 

 proportion of the crop by hurdles, or other means, and re- 

 moving them to frelh parts, portions, or breaks, as they are 

 fometimes called, every eight or ten days, or oftener, ac- 

 cording to circumilances, or as the fpaces may be eaten and 

 cleared by the llocK. Where the crop is ufed as the food 

 of ewes and Iambs, the former are fometimes confined in this 

 way, and the latter left at liberty, as feeding more readily 

 in tiiis manner. But where the foils are of a more deep and 

 heavy retentive quality, it is more ufual, and a better and 

 more beneficial method, to have the roots drawn and re- 

 moved, as wanted, to fome adjoining field to be confumed 

 by the (heep, fomewhat in the way noticed for cattle ; as. in 

 this manner, there is not only lefs injury and wafte by foiling 

 and treading the turnips into the ground, but the (heep get 

 a more certain and regular fupply of frelh roots, by which 

 they do better, and the (hells, by being left clean, are more 

 fully and completely eaten up by the flore cattle that are 

 afterwards put upon them for the purpofe. In fome cafes 

 and rtates of the land too, in the former mode, it is the 

 praftice to have the crop partly eaten off on the land on 

 which the turnips grow by fheep, and partly drawn and re- 

 moved, to be confumed in other places. In fuch cafes, the 

 method is ufually to turn the Iheep upon them as they ftand 

 in the field ; but, except the bulbs be much expofed above 

 the foil of the land, it is probably a better praftice to have 

 the roots pulled up on the part, before the iheep are turned 

 in and confined on it, as in this way they are not only lefs 

 apt to break and foil the turnips, but feed and fatten much 

 better upon them. This praftice is much m ufe in fome 

 fouthem diftrifts. 



In fome fituations, the hilly parts have the turnips fed off 

 in this manner by fheep, with a certain quantity of hay 

 allowed for every acre thus eaten off, beginning with a 

 break or portion from the loweft part of the field, and al- 

 lowing a new portion or hitch every day, ftill gradually 

 fifing, clearing the whole off in time for preparing the land 

 Jor the following crop. The crops on the more flat and 

 lieavy parts of the lands are drawn and removed, to be eaten 

 with hay or other dry food in proper places. 



It has been fuggefted, that much lofs is often fuftained 

 in thefe modes of feeding off turnips by folding (heep upon 

 them, particularly where the crops are raifed in the broad- 

 caft manner, and it is the cuftom to give the (heep large 

 lolds or breaks at a time, in confequence of froft or fnow 

 takmg place. In fuch cafes, it is fuppofed the ridge or 

 drill method is far preferable, as it is eafy to have the pens 

 or trays made and fixed in fuch a manner as to conftitute a 

 fort of moveable crib cr trough, the bars being fet near the 

 I 



fides of the rows, and the boards from ten to twelve inches 

 in breadth, having ftakes of fuitable lengths, as the depths 

 of the foils may be, nailed to them, and fecured on the (ides 

 from which the (heep feed. The narrower the fpaces the 

 turnips are included in, the better. As it may be imagined 

 that the animals may get in among the turnips fo fenced off", 

 it is faid that, fuppofing the roots may occupy a regular 

 fpaee of about twelve inches, the troughs may be made little 

 more than a foot in width at the bottom, having a (loping 

 direftion upwards. The bars may likewife have an inclina- 

 tion towards the fheep, and hang over the troughs or the 

 parts in which the turnips are inclofed, and thus prevent 

 them from getting in. It is fuppofed that in this way the 

 fheep will have their food quite clean, and that by fetting 

 off only at a time the quantity neceffary for a day, they may 

 eat it with more avidity, and without the danger of fpoiling 

 fo much by their difcharges, as is moftly the cafe in the 

 common circumilances of feeding upon the root. 



On examination, it is contended that this mode, when 

 even largely employed, will be found to be better in many 

 refpefts, as well as a great deal cheaper, as, on the moft 

 moderate calculation, three fheep may be kept in this way 

 to two by the common old method, or perhaps even double 

 the number, and they will fatten much fooner. And on 

 the principle that animals do not feed fo well when a re- 

 dundance of food is before them., it is thought that if the 

 (heep, in fuch cafes, were driven into the itraw-yards for 

 the night, and even to eat ftraw in the morning, they would 

 retain the turnips longer, and fatten quicker ; while, in the 

 mean time, the perfons employed in looking after them 

 might move the hurdles a row further, and thus little time 

 be loft. If both fattening and (lore fheep (hould be kept 

 in this manner, it would be proper to give the feeding flock 

 rather more roots than are fufEcient for the day, and to 

 turn in the ftore (heep the fucceeding day to confume what 

 may be left. In this mode, the length of turnips that may 

 be neceffary, without wafte being committed, may foon be 

 difcovercd. It would feem, however, that from the con- 

 ftant trouble, difficulty, and expcnce of the plan, in pro- 

 viding hurdles, and fixing them for the folds, they would 

 render it incapable of being put in execution, except in 

 cafes of a fmall number of fheep, where it may be an im- 

 provement, and a more economical manner of feeding off 

 turnip crops by fuch forts of ftock. 



In the praftice of hurdhng for this purpofe, great atten- 

 tion is neceffar}' to fee that the hurdles are at firft well fet 

 into the ground, and fecured by ftakes of fufEcient length, 

 with proper withs for tying them together, as after frofls 

 and thaws, or fnows, they are very apt to be thrown down 

 by the wind, and other caufes. The beft fort of hurdles 

 for this ufe is that of the flatted kind ; and a material of the 

 netting kind is fometimes employed, which is called tolling, 

 but it is more expenfive. See Hurdle. 



In whatever manner the feeding off turnips by (heep is 

 done, the hurdles fhould always be fet in fuch direftions 

 and forms, as that labour and expence may be faved as much 

 as poffible. 



In fome diftrifts, the praftice of feeding off thefe crops 

 in a partial manner, or that of pull and tkrotv, has given 

 way to that of confuming them wholly upon the land, from 

 the fuU conviction of its greater utility and profit ; while in 

 others, the mixed method of eating the root is ftill had re- 

 courfe to, as being preferable for the purpofs, and affording 

 more benefit. 



As it is found, in the fattening of fheep on this crop, 



, that tncy make the grcatcll progrcfs juft before the turnips 



begin to run and form their feed-ftems, which is fuppofed 



to 



