Time of Sowing.—Turnips are sown from the begin ning to the end of June ; but the second and third weeks of the month are, by judicious farmers, accounted the most proper time. Some people have sown as early as May, and with advantage ; but these early fields are apt to run to seed before winter, especially if tne autumn be favourable to vegetation. As a general rule, it may be laid down, that the earliest sowing should be on the latest soils; plants on such soils arc often long before they make any great progress; and in the end, may be far behind those, in other situations, which were much later sown. The turnip plant, indeed, does not thrive rapidly till its roots reach the dung; and the previous nourishment afforded them is often so scanty, as to stunt them altogether before they get so far.
Cleaning Process.—The first thing to be clone in this process is to run a horse-hoe, provincially called a scra per, along the intervals, keeping at such a distance from the young plants that they shall not be injured ; this operation destroys all the annual weeds which have sprung up, and leaves the plants standing in regular stripes or rows. The hand-hoeing then commences, by which the turnips are all singled out, at a distance of from eight to twelve inches, and the redundant ones drawn into the spaces between the rows. The singling out of the young plants is an operation of great impor tance, for an error committed in this process can hardly be afterwards rectified. Bays and girls are always cm , ployed as hoers ; but a steady and trusty manservant is usually set over the to see that the a oil be proper') executed.
In eight or ten days, or such a length of time as cir cumstances may require, a horse-hoe of a different con struction from the scraper is used. This, in fact, is ge nerally a small plough, of the same kind with that com monly wrought, but of smaller dimensions. By gins im plement, the earth is pared away from the sides of the drills, and a sort of new ridge lOrined in the middle of the former interval. The hand-hoer,, arc again set to work, and every weed and superfllow, turnip is up ; afterwards the horse-hoe is employed to sepal. tte. the earth, which it formerly threw into the furrows, and lay it back to the sides of the drills. On do y lands this is done by the scraper ; but, where the least tendency to moisture prevails, the small piougn is used, in order that the furrows may be pericctly cleaned out. This latter mode, indeed, is very generally prac tised.
Consumption.—A great part of turnips are consumed by sheep, because the feeding with these animals can he carried on upon a much larger scale, and at less expense, than in most cases with cattle. It is customary, how ever, with many people, to consume their turnips both ways ; they draw a certain number of drills, generally three or lour in one place, and leave as many, or mom, to be eaten with the sheep; by which method the whole ground is equally benefited by the urine and dung of the flock. Some farmers give tneir turnips to the win
tering kept in the fold-yard upon straw, which causes them to feed very rapidly, when put to the grass in the succeeding season; others give them to young stock, and probably with much advantage. Both these last plans are eminently beneficial to such farmers as are disabled, by local circumstances, from cultivating this root extensively.
Wnat is stated concerning turnips applies to the white or common kind ; but there arc other varieties of equal importance to the farmer, which ought not to be unno ticed. These are Yellow and Swedish turnips; articles of eminent benefit to feeders in the latter end of spring, when common turnips are useless.
lalow Turnip.
This variety, as now cultivated in the field, is quite different from the yellow garden turnip, being larger in size, containing more juice or nutritive substance, much easier cultivated, and preserving its powers till the mid dle of May, when the grass-season may be expected. Upon ordinary soils it is superior to ruta bags, because it will grow to a considerable weight, where the other would be stunted or starved ; and it stands the frost equal ly well. No farmer who keeps stock to any extent should be without it. The mode of culture required is in every respect similar to what is stated concerning common turnips, with these exceptions, that earlier sowing is necessary, and that the plants need not be set out so wide, as they do not swell to such a size.
Rota Bag-a, or Swedish Turnip.
This is another article of great importance to the far mer, affording green food of the choiest quality, highly relished by every kind of stock, and of if:comply-We ad vantage in a late season, w'ien either cattle or sheep arc to be carried on fur a market, or till grass is furnished. Indeed to procure such an article of green loud, whe•e by stock could be supported between the turnip and grass seasons, was lung a desideratum with agricultu rists. But this desirable object has been completely gained by the introduction of yellow turnips and rum baga, either being admirably calculated fur filling up that blank in the year which funnels looked to wan so IntIC h anxiety. The process of management is precise ly the same with that ul turnips, wail this addition, that mole dung is required, and that seed-time ought to be three or four weeks earlier. Rich soil, however, is re quir«1 fur this article ; for it will not grow to any size worth while on soils of middling quality, wnate er quan tity of dung may be applied.