TURNIP. 



131 



The following are the relative nutritive properties of the 

 Swede and Garden or Field Turnips : 



4 oz. Swede Turnip afford 110 grs. nutritive matter. 

 4 oz. Dutch or Garden afford 85 grs. nutritive matter. 



Culture. — The soil most genial for the Turnip is acknow- 

 ledged to be a gravelly, sandy loam. Some say " poor soil, 

 where no other vegetables will grow," is the best: I say, 

 good rich soil, with a dry bottom. In such sow for an early 

 crop as soon as the frost is out of the ground, either broad- 

 cast or in drills, ten inches apart and one-fourth of an inch 

 deep. An ounce of seed will sow a bed four feet wide and 

 forty feet long. Rake the surface even. If dry weather, 

 press the ground with the back of the spade or a light wooden 

 roller. One sowing only can be made in the Spring. From 

 the middle to the end of July is the proper time for sowing 

 the Swede or Rutabaga. Drills are most suitable for this sort. 

 Draw them fifteen inches apart, and thin out the plants as they 

 grow, till they stand eight inches from each other. This va- 

 riety requires very frequent use of the hoe in stirring the soil, 

 to keep it s^eet and encourage the growth requisite to mature 

 this best and most nutritious of Turnips. In August sow the 

 other sorts for a Fall and Winter supply. It is best to make 

 two sowings, say about the first and towards the middle or 

 end of the month ; roll or tramp firm the ground after the seed 

 at this period of the year — the first sowing to mature early for 

 immediate use, the last sowing to store away for a Winter 

 supply. In some seasons we have to sow, and sow, and sow 

 again, either from drought or the effects of the fly, which fre- 

 quently destroys it as soon as it vegetates ; in dry seasons it 

 is particularly destructive. In garden culture, a few pots of 

 water every evening will promote the growth of the seed, and 

 bring it speedily away from the attacks of the fly. One thing 

 must be observed : to have the ground always fresh dug be- 

 fore sowing. Soot, wood-ashes, and air-slacked lime are all 



