Science and Practice in Farm Cultivation

s quality be wanting we have some parts of our crop growing well, whilst others get on but poorly. Thus a free-growing

ng; if, therefore, we have a mixture in these respects, we may at least expect a partial failure; for whichever is best for our purpose,

selection in

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ixture o

induce him to buy. It is not only important that the roots should be selected, but that they should be stored and then planted in a fresh soil; for as these latter are among the cultivative processes by which sorts have been obtained, so should they be repeated in

arge, with a small tap-root and a small top, confined to a single central bud; a branched root and a many-headed top being true

and trimmed up with the knife, to make them look more presentable. As an evidence of the mistaken principles upon which prizes are awarded to bundles of roots, let any one seed such examples,

r, but sports may be caused by the fertilization of the turnip with rape and its congeners. Indeed, the hybrid with turnip and rape is doubtless the origin of the Swedish turnip; but there is reason to believe that mixtures may accid

same kind should be selected for seeding-plots, as even one or two of a wrong sort may result in a v

atches as remote from each other as possible. And we would here remark, that, for seeding, the roots should, as a rule, be farther apart than when grown for bulbs, both

is by no means infrequent) a patch of swedes overshadowed by a mixture of some large early turnip,-the Tankard, for example, ou

seeds vary as to their germinating powers: two-year-old seeds taking four or five days more to come up than a ne

emarks, we here quote from an article in t

on any of our great lines of railway (in early summer), and he will be struck with the many patches of bright yellow flowers which he will not fail to notice on either hand. In nine cases out of ten, these are fields or portions of fields of turnips, either the Swedish or common kinds, which, from the abundance of keep, it has been thought would be more profitable to seed than to eat off, especially as they have so rapidly grown out of the way. Are these patches of selected bulbs

simply impossible; but no matter, it will find a market somehow, some time. With such facts as these before us, who can wonder that any plant should become degenerate? Let some of

f turnip, we shall not grow its seed in perfection by selection merely, but we should transplant well-chosen roots, and so put them in a new scene, away f