Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-05-06
to the cultivation of the turnip. This cs-

to the cultivation of the turnip. This cs-
culent-
SURFACE (intenupting the Doctor)-
Why, Mr.. CHAIRMAN, this Is entirely out Of
order. We don't SOW turnips until July or
August, Sir; and should like to know
what business we have talking about it IN
May.
DR.. Golfer. Some men, Mr.. CHAIRMAN,
are content with looking no further ahead
than present necessities compel them to do;
and this is the reason why there are so ma
ny indifferent farmers. To be truly provi-
dent, the farmer must not only consider
in one week what he is to do the next, but
in one season how he shall improve the sub
sequcnt one-aye, Sir, and in one year what
arc to be the operations of the year follow
ing. Otherwise how can he rightly and
fully prepare for success.
Mr.. SURFACE. Oh, | beg pardon, IL
only meant to- see how it is now, and
hope the DocToR will proceed without any
more reasons on the subject.
TIE CHAIR. Proceed, Doctor.
DIR. Golfer. My reason for mooting
this subject at this time is the fact that it is
the very period now to begin preparing our
turnp patches. In "a number Of the now
extinct "ISouM Carolina Agiculturis" of
the past year, find a sensible article or
"Tumip Culture by the editor. With
your permission, Sir, will here read few
prominent extracts from this article:
ave commence by breaking ourland well
with two-horsc turning plow, and, as soon
lis We can do so, we turn round and break
it better. We then plow it a third time,
and subsoil it to depth of fifteen inches.
If it is rough and cloddy, we harrow at each
blowing, so as to thoroughly pulverizc every
particle of the soil. TO prepare clay soils
for the turnip crop requires great amount
of labor. Nine hundred and ninety y-nine
tump fields, out of each thousand, on the
clay lands of our State, do not receive the
proper preparation, whilst good, honest
plowing, on sandy and loamy alluvia soils,
usually effect this thorough preparation with
but little labor. When the soil is tho
roughly and deeply plowcd, it is best to in
corporate rough manure by again turning
over the soil. The turnip is Il gross feeder,
and if the soil is deeply plowed, the coar-
scst and roughest manure is as good us that
in more minute division"
"The sooner then in spring that the turnip
land is broken up, and made ready to re-
ceivc the rough manure, the better. 1t is
bad policy to leave off preparing the land
until it is dried up by the summers heat,
for then it is next to an impossibility to
make the proper preparation without tavo-
rable rains. We do not admire the practice
of -penning clay soils, which become
impacted by the trcading of the hoofs OF
animals, because it renders the preparation
in the most favorable seasons exceedingly
difficult. On light sandy lands, readily alb
sorbing the ammonia from the urine of ami
mails, this treadiug is highly beneficial: and
it gives consistencc and q retcntivc quality
to soils, otherwise too porous"
awe use about two pounds of seed to the
acre Having our land prepared, ready to
put in the seed, we select season to plant
them, when the earth is thoroughly damp,
and, if the weather is showcry, so much the
better. IN such weather we invariably Sc
cure good stand of healthy vigorous plants.
which grow out of the way Of insects in ten
days.
I've have applied guano at the rate of
three hundred pounds to the acre, broadcast,
aud in lesser quantities in the drill, with
great effect on the tumip crop. We think
this fertilizer indispensable TO the produc-
ton of fine turnipS.'
DIR. Golfer. 1t will he seen from these
extracts that it is not considered too early
to commence preparing for this business even
in the Spring. 1t will take hut little time
to select IN acre or two, broadcast it with
manure and plow it in. As broken days
occur from time to time, this operation can
be repeated until the patch is rcady-not
only ready to plant, but ready TO yield a
crop that will give master and servant a
plenty of turnps and turnip greens, and,
what is better still, that will make the COWS
give an abundance of milk, thus realizing
for farmers large golden balls of butter and
(as a secondary consequence smiling and
satisfied wives And | leave it to every
gentleman who hears Inc to say whether
this last circumstance is not almost the We.
ry first dcsileutum in life.
Mr.. SrBsoL. | would suggest, Mr..
CHAIRMAN, that the -igriculturist goes too
far in speaking Of 300 lbs of Guano to the
acre. 1t was but the other day that heard
DR.. HARDWOOD BURT, of this District, talking
on this same subject; and if am not pis-
taken he mentioned half that quantity as
cnoug Oh. lie further remarked that he
knew it tried last year on Il poor sandy old
field, and, without any other manure, It
acted like charm. am of opinion how
ever, Sir, that a just proportion of vcgeta-
bic manure, properly incorporated with the
soil las Col. SUMNER recommends would
improve both the ground and its immediate
productivehess very materially.