TURNIP. 



lo depend partly on their containing tlie greateil propoition 

 of ricli nourilhing matter at that time, and partly on the 

 ■weather becoming more dry, warm, and fettled ; the fhoots 

 are fometimes mown olF in the fpring, and by the lateral 

 fprouts and leaves, a more copious fupply of green food is 

 not only afforded, but the roots are preserved longer in a 

 condition fit for ufe in this application. The feeding or 

 fattening qualities of thefe roots are, however, much dif- 

 puted by fome, except when fome fort of dry food is made 

 ufe of with them. 



In the feeding of thefe crops off by all forts of (lock, regard 

 is to be had on firft turning upon them, that they do not 

 continue too long, as otherwife injury may be fuftained by 

 the dillenfion that is fometimes occafioned by their eating 

 too freely of them, or their being haven or blown. 



Where thefe crops are drawn for winter and fpring ufe, 

 it is fometimes neceflary to have them preferved in fome way 

 or other. See Tl'Rnips, Preferv'wg of. 



Great attention in many ways is neceflary to turnip crops, 

 as being the foundation of feveral of the moll beneficial 

 praftices of the farmer. 



Stealing or otherwife deftroying turnips, when growinn-, 

 is by ftatute punifhable criminally, by whipping, fmall fines, 

 imprifonment, and fatisfaftion to the party wronged, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the offence. By 13 Geo. III. 

 c. 32. the offender fhall, on conviftion before one juflicc, 

 by confefTion on oath of one witnefs, forfeit fuch fum, not 

 exceeding \os. over and above the value of the goods ftolen, 

 as to the jullice fliall feem meet ; and in default of pay- 

 ment, be committed to hard labour, for a time not exceed- 

 ing one month. 



No perfon fhall be profecuted for any fuch offence, 

 unlefs the profecution be begun within twenty days after 

 the offence committed. The provifions of this aft have 

 been extended by ftatute 42 Geo. III. c. 67. in three par- 

 ticulars ; -viz. in the defcription of the offence, inferting 

 injuring barns and orchards ; in the penalty, making the fum 

 not exceeding 20s. ; and in the term of imprifonment, which 

 is made two months. 



Turnips, with regard to diet and medicine, are accounted 

 a falubrious food ; demulcent, detergent, fomewhat laxative 

 and diuretic, but liable in weak ftomachs to produce flatu- 

 lencie?, and prove difficult of digeftion ; the liquor, prefTed 

 out from them after boiling, is fometimes ufed medicinally, 

 in coughs and diforders of the breaft. The feeds have been 

 accounted alexipharmic or diaphoretic ; they have no fmell, 

 but difcover to the tafle a mild acrimony, feemingly of the 

 fame nature with that of muftard-feed, though far weaker. 

 Lewis. 



Turnips, Preferring of, in jigrlculture, the means of 

 guarding and fecuring them againft the effefts of fevere 

 frofls and other fuch caufes, by which they are not unfre- 

 quently much injured and rendered improper as the food of 

 flock. In cafes where they are defigned for the feeding or 

 fupporting of neat cattle or other kinds of flock, during 

 the v/inter and very early fpring feafons, as they are then 

 extremely liable to become hurt and deftroyed in this way, 

 on account of the fudden alternations of frofl and thaw that 

 take place in the former period, this becomes particularly 

 tifeful and neceffary. For want of this attention, the roots 

 often become quite rotten and wholly unfit for ufe, as well 

 as difScult to be got up when wanted. 



In the intention of preferving them, many different me- 

 thods and praftices have been attempted and had rccourle 

 to at different times, but hitherto probably without any of 

 them having been attended with complete fucccfs, and at 

 the fame time fo cheap as to anfwer the farmer's purpofe. 



The only perfeftly fecure mode would be that, probably, of 

 havmg them drawn, topped, and piled up with layers of dry 

 llraw m houfes properly formed and conftrufted for the 

 purpofe, and conveniently fituated for the fheds and other 

 feedmg places ; but it would be liable to objeftion, except 

 on a fmall fcale, as being both troublefome and expenfive. 



A method of preferving this root, which is much in ufe, 

 very effeftual, little expenfive, and attended with no great 

 trouble, is that of drawing and piling the turnips up in 

 different portions on the field where they are raifed, with 

 layers of dry ftraw put betwixt each of thofe of the turnips. 

 In this mode, which is much praftifed in fome fouthern coun- 

 ties, a load of ftraw is ufed to about thirty or forty tons of the 

 turnips. The manner of effefting the work is faid to be this : 

 the turnips, on being drawn in a dry time, and the tops and tap- 

 roots removed, a layer of ftraw is fpread out on a dry part 

 of the ground, and a layer of turnips placed upon it to the 

 thicknels of eighteen inches or two feet ; after this another 

 layer of ftraw, and then a layer of turnips ; proceeding on, 

 alternately in the fame manner, until the pile or heap be 

 brought to a fort of ridge or point ; when the edges of the 

 different layers of ftraw are turned up and faftened, which 

 ferves to prevent the roots from falhng out, and at the fame 

 time affords a fort of external covering to the heap or pile, 

 which is completed by being well thatched over the top with 

 long ftraw. 



It is fuppofed too, by fome, that the difBculty of getting 

 them out of the ground, and the dangers they are expofed 

 to in fevere frofty feafons, as well as the inconveniences the 

 ftock experience in feeding upon them from their coldnefs, 

 and the hazard of their injuring the land by remaining too 

 long, may all be avoided by pihng them up in a fimilar 

 manner, in fmall heaps in the ftack form, the tops outwards, 

 near to the places in which they are to be confumed, cover- 

 ing them over with wattles or hurdles lined with itraw. 



In fome cafes, turnips have been attempted to be preferved 

 by being formed, without ftraw, after the tops and fmall 

 roots have been taken off, and the former ufed green, into 

 a fort of heaps termed pies, in the manner in which potatoes 

 are fometimes kept, being well thatched over on the outfidcs 

 by ftraw or fome other more cheap material. 



They have alfo been attempted to be preferved in the field 

 by covering thera by deep ploughing in different manners, 

 when perfeftly dry. 



A great many other modes of preferving thefe roots have 

 likewife been fuggefted and praftifed by farmers and others, 

 but they need not be noticed here, as they moftly appear 

 lefs ufeful than the above. 



In all cafes of preferving thefe roots in the heap manner, 

 care muft be taken not to have them made too large, or too 

 clofely packed up together, as the danger of their heating 

 and being fpoiled, may thereby be, in a great meafure, 

 avoided. 



By fome means of thefe forts, turnips may moftly be pre- 

 ferved, kept ready, and fit for ufe as food for live-ftock, 

 even in fituations and feafons which are the moft expofed 

 and fevere, which under different circumftanccs are often 

 matters of much confequence to farhicrs. See Turnip, 

 fupra. 



Turnip, 5TOf«/i/J. See Ruta Baga. 



Turnips, Stubble, the crops raifed on lands after grain 

 as fheep-feed, which on good dry foils often anfwer well. 

 See STUBBLE-Xurnz/.r. 



TuRSlv-Cutter, or Slicer and Chopper, contrivances of the 

 cutting kind, which are made ufe of in preparing this fcrt of 

 root for being eaten by different kinds of hve-ftcck. Im- 

 plements of this nature are formed and conftrufted on very 



different 



