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324 Hints towards ſecuring the Turnip Crop.[May

I bave generally ſecured my crop, or a conſiderable part of it, by ſowing it very early: before the days become intenſely hot, and béfore thé various tribes of inſets have gained their: ſummer frength. T generally ſow a ſmall portion oi my turnips. in the firſt week of the month of June, and ihe remamder very ſoon after, as Occaſion preſents itſelf, When the firſcſowing fails, I repeat if, again and again, even to the fourth. or fifth time. I frequently, Tirſt ſow one baif of my ſeed. and then plough the land, and áfterwards harrow-in the ocher half, By this means, the‘ ſeed is dépoñted at a variety of depths, and- therefore ſome párt'of it’is likely to vegetate, be the ſeaſon wet or dry.

«c The turnip crop,(ſays Mr. Miller in his Gardener!s and Botaniſls Didtionary,) is precarious, principally-bécauſe the!far- mer is“obliged to depart from the common courſeof natures; in accommodating it to his wants: inſtead of putting-the ſeed; into the‘ground in the ſpring months, when there would be as great a certainty of a crop as of any otber vegetable, he is obliged: to defér ſowing unt.1 rhe hotteſt ſeaſon of the year comes on, when unleſs he is ſo fortuñate 25 to kave a few rainy: days, or cloudy Weatherwith frequent ſhowers, he can have little hopes of ſucceſs?

This is a very juſt obſervation of Mr. Miller's, and; is cons. firmed by thé very ingenious and intelligenc Dr. Stacy, who has Communicated many very ſenſible remarks on the culture of-the Turnip crop.“The ſowing ſeaſon,(ſays he,) being uſuaily dry and'hot, the land brought to a hne tilth, the ſeed ſown on the ſur= face; ánd harrowed in, there is ſcarcely ſufficient moiſture to maké it ſProùt, and Unleſs the ſced is placed at a proper depth, to ſcreen it from the heat of the ſun, its vegetative powers will be de- froy@d. But a great part of the ſced will generally imbibe ſuf ficient moiſture from the dews and dampnels of the ſurrounding eafth, during night, to make it vegetate; cven then;its progreſs will be checked by the heat of the ſucceeding day, andby being alternately maiſtened and dried, its. vital principles will bemuüch Weéakened, if not wholly deſtroyed.?

If, as is ſometimes the cafe, the ſeed finds. moiſture: ſufficient to eñable it to produce bothzits radicle and’ germ and even: to raiſe its- ſeed-Icaves above the, ſurface of the ground, fill the ſame deitrudtive effets may be ultimately produced z‘the heat will then exert its influence.on the-external parts of the plants, by evaporating its moifture faſter than it is ſupplied by the radi cle,- by which; it either withers away, ór is ſo-much inmured, that it Heyer comp/etely; recovers itſelt; and there’ is no doubt,‘but thät many acres;of turnips are tbus annually ſpoiled.

The‘firſt proceſs towards, vegetation is the ſwelling‘of the ſeed, by. baving, imbibed- a certain quantity of moifſturez it is then able to exert its vital powers, and in order.to fécure its future increaſe, when the demand for nouriſhment will be in proportion to its growth, it ſends forth its radicle or little root,