[26] 



V. On the French Turnep (a variety of the Brassica Napus 

 of Linnaeus,,) which has long been cultivated upon the Conti- 

 nent. By Mr. James Dickson, F. L. S. Vice President. 



Read February 4, 1805. 



In the report drawn up by our worthy member, Thomas 

 Andrew Knight, Esq. at the request of a committee of the 

 Horticultural Society, and printed by their orders ; it is re- 

 marked, that nature appears to have put no limits to the 

 success of our labours in improving vegetables, if properly 

 applied ; that thus our Wild Crab has been converted into the 

 Golden Pippin, and that our most delicious Plumbs have 

 originally sprung from the Sloe, The vegetable which I have 

 now the honour of submitting to the Society, is one more 

 among many instances of the truth of the above remark ; 

 which I have quoted, because I think it cannot be too fre- 

 quently repeated, and instilled into the minds of young gar- 

 deners. Nature has undoubtedly done much in furnishing 

 our table with a variety of esculents spontaneously, but when 

 we aid her efforts to befriend us, by industry on our part, 

 she, like a kind mother, never disappoints us. Who would 

 suppose that the hard acrid root of the Brassica Napus, or 

 common Rape, might be rendered so mild and palatable by 

 cultivation, as to be preferred to the common Turnep? yet 

 this has actually been the case, and in France as well as 

 Germany, few great dinners are served up without it in 

 one shape or other. 



