512 
point, and has a light yellow colour, and in gene- 
ral grows entirely under ground. 
Varieties of Common Turnip.— White turnips, 
in a general view, are suitable for use only in the 
early and middle parts of the year, and are most 
profitable only when so raised as to be all con- 
sumed before any of the swedes or of the firmest 
and largest hybrids become fit for use; for when 
they grow beyond a certain size, they lose a con- 
siderable proportion of their nutritious princi- 
ples,—or when allowed to remain on the ground 
after they attain full bulk, previous to the com- 
mencement of the autumn or winter frosts, they 
become soft, spongy, unpalatable, and compara- 
tively worthless. The depressed and the tankard 
varieties, in particular, are totally unsuitable for 
winter feeding,—the former, on account of their 
retaining moisture in a concavity on their upper 
surface, so as to be easily rotted and destroyed 
_after the season of heat and of high evaporation 
has passed away,—and the latter, not so much 
' on account of the softness of their texture, as 
because they stand mostly above the ground, and 
| are therefore very much exposed to the action of 
frost. The good or approved varieties of common 
turnip are exceedingly numerous, and present a 
great diversity of both external and internal 
character; and, in some instances, are so near 
akin to some of the yellow hybrids, as to be dis- 
tinguishable mainly by the whiteness of the skin 
and flesh. All those we shall enumerate, except 
such as we shall state to be suitable only for the 
garden, are proper for field cultivation. 
The white globe turnip comprises a common 
or normal variety and a considerable number of 
distinct and rather widely different subvarieties. 
The root of all its kinds has a globular form, a 
small neck, a small tap, a smooth skin, and per- 
fectly white skin and flesh; but that of some 
kinds has been considerably altered from the 
normal state in consequence of the special. care 
and attention of cultivators in selecting their 
seed-stocks; and that of any one kind is often 
not a little affected by the nature and condition 
of the soil in which it is grown. Thus globes of 
any kind, and particularly the common white 
globes, when grown on a very superior rich soil, 
may be said to be forced beyond their natural 
size, So as to acquire somewhat of a monstrous or 
overgrown appearance, and to lose in a great 
measure their natural symmetry of shape. 
The Pomeranian globe turnip was introduced 
not many years ago from Pomerania, and may be 
considered the most perfect globe turnip in 
shape, as well as the most regular or uniform 
grower. Its skin is smooth and white, and has 
a somewhat shining or transparent-like appear- 
ance ; and its leaves are smoothish, and of a dark 
green colour, with whitish nerves. 
The green globe has a fine globular shape, with 
a small neck and small tap-root; and is very 
white beneath, and green above the surface of 
the ground; and is of medium size, hardy, and 
TURNIP. 
firm of texture; yet is scarcely so firm as the 
green round turnip, although it arrives rather 
earlier at maturity. 
The stone globe is considered to be the hardiest 
of all the entire white globe turnips; and it 
grows naturally deeper in the soil than the 
others, and has stronger and darker green foliage. 
The red globe turnip is medium-sized, globu- 
larly shaped, and firm in texture. This is an 
old and in some districts a pretty extensively 
cultivated variety. It is medium early, and 
generally allowed to be particularly well suited 
for light soils and exposed elevated situations. 
The white round turnip is known in Lincoln 
by the name of spring white. It is the largest 
of the round turnips, and, at the same time, the 
softest and most irregular in shape. It is gene- 
rally hollowed towards the neck, and, in conse- 
quence, is apt to be injured by retaining mois- 
ture, which renders it unfit for using, except in 
the beginning of the winter season. All the 
round or depressed turnips have a peculiar flat- 
tish shape, rather hollow towards their neck, as 
also on their under side; and when grown to a 
large size, they become more or less of an irregu- 
lar round or somewhat cornered shape. 
The green-topped round turnip possesses these 
characters in a less degree than the white round, 
and is generally of a pretty regular circular 
shape, flattened but not much hollowed on the 
upper and the under surfaces, the former of which 
is of a green colour, and the latter white. It is 
the hardiest of the round turnips. 
The red round turnip is inferior in size to the 
two former, but rather firmer in texture, and 
more regular in shape. It should also be used 
in the early part of the season. 
The white tankard turnip has its roots more 
than half out of the ground, and oblong or tank- 
ard-shaped, but often bent or crooked. It is the 
largest of the tankards, but is also softer in tex- 
ture than either the red or the green. Its leaves 
are large and luxuriant. It is the earliest in 
maturing of any; but will not stand the frost. 
The green tankard turnip also has its roots 
more than half above the ground; and they are 
of a greenish colour, except on the under surface, 
which is white. 
The red tankard turnip, in size, form, and 
texture, may be considered as occupying an in- 
termediate place between the white and the 
green tankards. It is of a bright red colour on 
the upper surface, and white on the under. 
The Lawton hybrid turnip was raised by James 
Wright, Hsq., of Lawton, near Perth; and may 
be considered as bearing the same relation to the 
Swede as Dale’s hybrid. Its leaves are darkish 
green, rather small and smoothish; and its roots 
are roundish or somewhat heart-shaped, being || 
often tapered on the under side, white below, and 
green above the surface of the ground ; and they 
are hardy, and possessed of more solidity and 
firmness of texture than most white sorts. 
———$ S$ 
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