From these observations it is reasonable to conclude, in general, that the severities of the weather occasion less loss than the practice of storing. In favour of the latter, however, there is this great advantage, that the loss is always uniform, and can be foreseen, and provided for ; While, in regard to the former, the loss is perfectly uncertain, being regulated by causes which we cannot anticipate, and over which we have no control. This circumstance is often very embarrassing to farmers in exposed situations. In some years, if the weather be favourable, the whole crop may escape unhurt by frost ; and there may be a superabundance in sin ing, with no adequate stock of cattle to consume it. On the contrary, if the weather he very severe, almost the whole turnips, intended for spring fbod, are destroyed, and the farmer will find great difficulty, as well as sustain considerable loss, in disposing of his cattle, before they are fully fattened. It may therefore be imagined, that, in exposed situations, the practice of storing is advisable to a cer tain extent, say one-third of the crop, that there may be always a certain supply for spring consumpt; but a prac tice has been introduced, which promises to render even that extent of storing unnecessary, of earthing up the turnips in the drills, with a double mould-board plough. at the end of autumn.
The cause of putrefaction does not seem to be pre cisely understood. It certainly is not the frost per sr. Turnips, congealed into a lump of ice, are perfectly fresh after being thawed in water. In the beginning of winter, they are scarcely affected by a black frost, though very severe ; and even w hen the season is further ad vanced, they remain safe during every degree of frost, if the ground is covered with snow. It has also been ob served, that a turnip field, with a northern exposure, in all cases sustains less injury than a field with any other aspem Front these facts, it may be inferred, that the sun acts a part in the destruction of turnips, and that his influence is injurious, by producing a sudden transition from cold to heat. Turnips, in the beginning of winter, little during black frost, because their leaves, then succulent and expanded, intercept completely the rays of the sun ; and at the approach of spring, the same event happens, though the leaves are destroyed, if snow afford a covering to the bulbs in their stead. But if a black frost at that season, turnips suffer an irrepa rable injury. They freeze every night ; the sun, then pretty high and powerful, thaws them every day. In morning there is a rapid transition from cold to heat ; and in the evening there is a similar transition front heat to cold. It is well known, that a turnip, when wounded, speedily decays : probably those frequent vicissitudes of heat and cold, by producing sudden alternations of ex pansion and contraction in turnips, destroy their texture, reduce them to the state of dead matter, and subject them to the general law of putrefaction.
From this explanation, it will easily be discovered, in what respect earthing-up is beneficial to turnips. In spring frosts, it shields them from the burning rays of the sun, supplying the place of their natural covering of leaves, or of the accidental protection of snow. A spi rited farmer, in an elevated district of Clydesdale, has carried successfully this principle to its utmost extent, by ploughing-under, and whclming, in the 'bottom of the furrow, that part of his turnips intended for spring con sumption. It is believed that the thick incumbent fur row-slice, and the reversed position of the turnips, con siderably retard vegetation at the approach of spring : but this advantage, if it really exist, is certainly coun terbalanced by the difficulty of raising them from so great a depth. Even earthing up is sometimes produc tive of inconvenience in this respect. if the frost be severe, it becomes laborious to raise them with a pick ax ; if the ground be wet, it is difficult to free them from the adhering earth. It seems necessary, there fore, (to supersede, entirely, not only the necessity, but also the convenience, of the storing system,) that a spe cies of turnip were discovered possessing a degree of hardiness sufficient to resist every inclemency of our northern climate, and every vicissitude of our variable weather. In the sequel, some reasons will be produced to show that this discovery is now made.
3. Storing, as admitting the culture of the more valua ble species of turnips.—Before the introduction of the storing system, its advocates argue, farmers were obli ged, in exposed situations, to cultivate not the most valuable, but the most hardy species of turnips. The yellow garden variety was found to possess this property, and, notwithstanding the smallness of its size, was cul tivated to a considerable extent, to secure a certainty of spring food. But, under the system of storing', while this advantage is obtained in its full extent, the greatest latitude of selection is admitted, either as to the greater size of the turnips, or as to their greater palatableness to cattle. This argument seemed conclusive. The ellow garden species was laid aside, and the common white, which is much more valuable, was substituted in its stead. From recent discoveries it seems probable, how ever, that the storing system is unnecessary to the culture of the more valuable varieties. The prejudice in favour of the delicate and eve-pleitsing hulk of common turnips, is on the decline. Experience has shown, that the eye is not the best judge, and that bulk is not the surest criterion of excellence in turnips. Facts are rapidly accumulating to encourage a belie!, that a species is discovered, hardy, yet valuable, equal to the common in size, and superior to it in nutri ment.