The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-07-26
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BY Gen. HUMPHREYS.

So many valuable tte.tises RAISING tunps have
been published Il late years, thai 1t /, judged
sary TO tr-at al la &, tle successfully
pracuscd la tISi, cultivation.
Their usefulness, wholesome and nUtr.ciOus
food tor sheep, and u,her cattle Is universally aek
begged. During the rnmtg wiuter their value
be greatly enhanced by an uncommon scsicy Of hay,
acSUs ding 10 present ppcarancts
Most Turner's are able To grow from half to
scyersi acres Of turnirs. this Time will not
be wanting Tor II is and other Indispensable frming
perations Mo increased by the eircuulslaIl-
ces before mentioned.
In carrying this branch of agriculture, in this season.
To- extent hitherto unknown, fewer difficulties will
occur than in "lnost any one, account of the
particular acquaintance which all our farmers have
with the usual process. A further impulse alone is
Necessary.
Immense advantages have resulted from the augmen-
ted cultivation In England. The county of Norfolk
la particular is reported to have been enriched in
great degree by II.
With us, whenever the season has been favorable
few crops have been abundant and pro6tsble--
Nor IS the crop Precstious to occasion any ser
Gus encouragement. Much however, tcpends on fire.
quent showers continued drought, INN ediately al
ter the seed has been pat into the earth.
Great crops not TO bC expected from poor and
Ill cultivated land. Good Husbandry, it viii be agreed,
consists in tiiling little land with care rather than
great deal with negligence.
Fields designed for this crop, should he made mel
low to receive the seed. Manur~s of all kinds may
be applied. judgment must be exercised quail
" and quantity, suitable tor different SOILS Wherever
tialstCr Oh FarlS succeeds, be used with the
best effect tor this crop la the ut kinds of
manurcs, suct stable, farm yard, hog pen, dung s.
that obtained from the folding oil sheep, well lime,
compost, &c the common practice may safely be fol-
lowed.
We have much TO learn from the application Of chy-
mistry tn agriculture concerning manures t. be sup
piled 10y calcaiiOus, muci.aeuus original and Lecom-
posed substances reduced practice by modern
discoveries particularly by those of tht celebrated
chymist, SIR Hunlplrey DGVy, explained III his late
Ingenious and valuable public alton
We may require much useful information from A.
mercan works on farming, d liz issuing from the
press we'll as from books published in other coun-
tries making allowance for the difference between those
countries and our OWE, IN soil, climate and local cir.
cuDstances.
English farmers have ere advantage over us in rails
ing turnlps for sheep. Their winters are commonly
open and free FROM snow, that the sheep eat the
t1rnips in the fields. With us, they must BE- pulled,
and preserved from frost. Notwithstanding the ex-
pence is considerable, it will be cheeriully incurred
as sacrifice to cmate--so advantageous in many
poets.
1t is unknown to me- whether turnips have more en-
emies here than there, to render the crop more
certain in America than in England. Turnips for Gu
hnary use are sowed during the heat of summer,
(when the dry weatheris frequently unfavoraeIe to
vegetation) lest b. getting forward before the
tumn, they should grow rank and pithy For sheep
and cattle they may be sowed earlier; in u hich case
having taken earlier start, their grow is less la
bic to be impeded by drought or insects.
Although Turnips cannot be supposed to delight e.
qualy all kinds OF soils, yet, believed that su
clcut portions of ground may be found in almost every
farm, suited to their growth and that if we'll manu-
red and well cultivated, they will produce for the next
winter plentiful supply fur * beast, and linus DC
made source Of incalcuis0tc advantage to the
munity.
NorE.-In some parts Of England for the pur-
pose Of having the sheep up the turnps clean in
particular spots. without running over nibbng at or
trampng on the turnps in the whole field, temporary
fences arenade by sticks movable fences readily set
rp, taken down andremoved, proporuned in size to the
Sumberinended to be kept in them. The flock be-
ing divided into classes of like quality from the best to
the most ENTHUSIASTICALLY succeed each other in
the pens, In the same order sII the parts of
the urnps the surface have been consumed some
instrument like iron. toothed rake, or small har-
row. used, TO loosen and make tbs residue more es-
silly attainable In the of very mild winter,
few years ago, left in the ground part of the tr-
Dips which grew in field Of three four acres-it
surprizing to see with what eagcrness and dcx.
terity the sheep extracted them with their feet and
noses, the next SpriOg-they thus kept 10 a
thriving condtionI is to be regretted, that no cad
en"t'on can be made on the frequent OF such
favorable seasons.