498 



Agricultural Chemistry — Turnips. 







No Mania 



e. 







Season. 



Bulb per Acre in 



Average weight 

 of bulbs in lbs. 

 and tenths. 







1843 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. 

 4 3 3 2 



0-52 







1844 



2 4 10 



0-36 







1845 



0 13 2 24 



0-11 





It is seen that in three years the produce of this unmanured 

 plot was reduced from 4i tons to 13 J cwts. per acre ; in the 

 fourth season (1346) the bulbs only averaged the size of a radish, 

 and were considered to be not worth weighing. This result 

 strikes us as the more remarkable when we reflect that to the 

 turnip is attributed a power of reliance upon the atmosphere for 

 its organic constituents, to which it is supposed is due its efficacy 

 in restoring fertility to the soil, and increasing the after-growth 

 of corn, which itself attains to a moderate crop under the influence 

 of soil and season alone. The evidence here afforded of the 

 totally artificial conditions which are induced in the cultivation of 

 the turnip for feeding and manuring purposes, is of the clearest 

 kind ; and we shall have occasion further on to refer to other 

 points than those here given, as illustrating so curious a result. 



Our present object is to show the entire absence of any bene- 

 ficial influence of season upon the growth of the turnip, inde- 

 pendently of artificial supply of constituents. An inspection of 

 the two following tables, giving the results obtained by various 

 manures during three seasons, and the characters of the seasons 

 themselves, affords some insight into the general influence of climate 

 upon the growth of the cultivated turnip. It must be admitted, 

 however, that the relation is by no means so quantitatively definite 

 as in the case of wheat ; whilst the conditions suited to the favour- 

 able growth of the two plants are very opposite in kind : — 





Bulb per Acre, in Tons, cwts., 



qrs., and lbs. 



Average weight of Bulbs 

 in lbs. and tenths. 



Season. 



12 Tons 

 Farm -yard 

 dung. 



Superphosphate 

 of Lime. 



Mixed earthy 

 and alkaline 

 Phosphates and 

 Sulphates. 



12 Tons 

 Farm-yard 

 dung. 



Super- 

 phosphate 

 of Lime. 



Mixed 

 earthy and 

 alkaline 

 Pliospliates 



and 

 Sulphates. 



1843 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. 



9 9 2 9 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. 



12 3 2 8 



Tons. cwts. qrs, lbs. 



11 17 2 0 



1-36 



1-47 



1-35 



1844 



10 15 1 0 



7 14 3 0 



5 13 2 0 



1-19 



0-81 



0'68 



1845 



17 0 3 6 



12 13 3 12 



12 12 2 8 



1-61 



I'll 



M6 



