Turnips.
Nothing new occurs in regard to the culture of the turnip, unless, perhaps, the practice of sprinkling powdered quicklime over the young plants while in seed-leaf, in order to check the ravages of a little beetle called the turnip-fly.—The variety called Stone-turnip is still very much cultivated for the London market. But the Aberdeen Yellow Turnip is preferred, in many places, for use at the table dur. ing the winter months. It is hardy, and remains firm and good till the spring.--A very beautiful yel low variety has of late been cultivated, under the name of Maltese Turnip. It is of a round shape, and has such a fine golden colour and so very smooth 1 a skin, that it resembles some foreign fruit. It is excellent for the table; but, if intended for winter use, it must be carefully packed in sand, being other wise apt to shrivel and decay.—The Swedish Tur nip, or Ruta Baga, is now preferred by many per- I sons for the winter supply, on account of its rich flavour and agreeable sweetness. It may either be stored among sand, in a cellar, or, being extremely hardy, it may remain in the ground till wanted.— The Navew, or Nowt of the French, is a distinct species, a variety of our native Brassies Napus. The] cultivation of the French turnip was promoted in this country during the late war, owing to the nu. merous French emigrants creating a demand for it. The cultivation is similar to that of ordinary turnips. The root, which is oblong, or .arrot-shaped, is of a much higher flavour than any of the common tur nips. It is put whole into soups, after being merely scraped, not peeled.
Turnip-rooted Cabbage.
Of the turnip-rooted cabbage, or kohl-riibe, there are two varieties, one swelling above ground, the other in it. Both are occasionally used for the table, and, while in a young state, are equal in flavour to the Swedish turnip. There is nothing particular in the culture, unless that, in the case of the first-meS. tioned variety, the earth should not be drawn so high as to cover the globular part of the stem, or the part used. The seed may be sown in the begin ning of June, and the seedlings transplanted in July : they are thus fit for use at the approach of winter ; and they may either be stored like turnip, or, befog quite hardy, they may be left in the ground till re quired.
Succor-9 is, like the navew, a plant indigenous to our island (Cichorium Intybus), and we also owe its cultivation to the foreign refugees during the war. It is still but little attended to, probably less than it deserves. It is much esteemed by the French as a winter sa lad; and, when blanched, is known under the name of Barbe du Capucin. When intended for winter use, the seed is sown in June or July, commonly in drills ; and the plants are thinned out to four inches apart. If the first set of leaves grow very strong, owing to wet weather, they are cut off, perhaps in the middle of August, about an inch from the ground, so as to promote the production of new leaves, and check any tendency to the formation of flower stems. In the end of September, or begin ning of October, the plants are raised from the bor der; all the large leaves are cut off, taking care not to injure the centre of the plant ; the roots are also shortened. They are then planted in boxes filled with rich mould, pretty close together. These boxes are set in any sheltered situation, and occasionally wa tered, if the weather be dry. When frost comes on, they are protected by a covering of any kind of haulm. As the salad is wanted, the boxes are suc cessively removed into some place having a mode rately increased temperature, equal perhaps to 55°, but not exceeding 60° Fahr. The less light they are subjected to, the blanching is of course the more easily accomplished. The mushroom-house, a cor ner of the green-house, or a cellar off the kitchen, will answer the purpose. Each box affords two crops of the blanched leaves, a short interval being allowed for the growth of the second crop. The leaves are reckoned fit for cutting when they are about six inches long. A more simple and easy, but perhaps less neat and less productive, mode may be mentioned. The plants may be taken from the open border at the approach of winter, with balls of earth attached to them, placed in boxes, and the in terstices between the balls filled with sand. If the green leaves be cut over, and the boxes be placed in a darkened cellar, or other similar situation, a crop of blanched salad will soon be produced.