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ivhile the turnip, with its broad leaves, depends more upon the air for its 
food. Even in such a comparatively recent work as British Husbandry, 
it is said the haulm of the carrot is not unfrequently mowed for cows, 
and that it is hazardous to draw any general conclusion for or against 
the practice. The leaves of the carrot are quite as essential to the growth 
of the roots as are those of the turnip. The foliage of asparagus is 
much more delicate than that of the carrot, yet Lindley very justly con¬ 
siders that when asparagus of large size is desired, it is a matter of great 
Importance to retain the foliage entire and uninjured. In the Gardener’s 
Uhronicle of October last, he observes, “no exuberance of growth in 
the asparagus stems can be considered as excessive, nothing should be 
done to check it, every branch that a plant is able to form should be 
anxiously preserved ,* and if any means can be used to prevent the for¬ 
mation of berries, which, we must remember, is a process of exhaus¬ 
tion, these means should be adopted, provided always the little thread¬ 
like green leaves are in no way injured. Small as they are, they conduce 
to the strength of the asparagus, as much as its broad leaves to a forest 
tree.” 
A member of a farmers’ club in Scotland transplanted some rutabagas, 
many were running to seed, and the tops of some were accidentally cut 
off, the roots of these were observed to put forth fresh leaves and to in¬ 
crease in size ; the foliage of other plants was consequently mowed two 
ear three times during summer and the leaves used as fodder, yet the 
roots, notwithstanding this treatment, attained a considerable size. A 
great discovery seemed to be made, farmers might eat their cake and 
have it; they might have tons of green fodder per acre, and the weight 
of their roots undiminished. Two turnips, whose leaves had been mowed 
three times, were sent to Professor Johnston to be analyzed, and in the 
state in which they reached the laboratory they were found to contain 
nearly 91 per cent, of water, leaving only 9 per cent, of dry matter. 
The proportion of water usually ranges between 88 and 90 per cent, 
leaving 10 or 12 of dry matter. Experiments in the field should go hand 
in hand with the experiments in the laboratory to be perfectly satisfac¬ 
tory. Roots, like the carrots and turnip, lose water rapidly if exposed 
to a dry atmosphere; and I consider it is probable when careful compa¬ 
rative experiments are made, there will be constantly found a much 
greater per-centage of water than usual in roots whose foliage has been 
