Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1864-08-11
:faneeras rs. department.
sow TURNIPs.

Farmers, We con1ure you 70 SOW
t,rnips- Now, to day, this week, or
certainly before the 18th Of August
The old-time sdage ssys: "On the
twenty-fifth day of July ow your
tnrnips, wet or dry" The rule is
very good one, but we have often got
a great yield from seed sown three
weeks later then that time and in
very favorable seasons have been
wei paid for all labor when the seed
was sown September 1st. The right
time, however, is the last week in
July. The best sort is called '.Pur-
pie Top Straw Leaf" 1t makes a
rapid growth, very solid, sweet, nu-
tsious roots Of medium size. It is
the most sure ofany sort that we
have ever tried or seen others try
The next best is the yellow Stone,
which keeps better than the Red-Top
snd is esteemed better for the
table. A sort called Cow Horn or
Bong White, is much liked by some
farmers. We do not like it. 1t
grows high out of ground. and is
more apt TO be woody than the others
which are fat and very handsomely
shaped. If the season is very favor
able, rutabagas planted in July will
grow large enough for the table, and
will be better than those planted this
wear In the fore part Of June. What
ever the sort if large enough to eat
or feed, they will be very valuable
this year, as all other root crops
have measur ably failed in the great
drouth. This is why we beg of you
to SOW tnrnips.A Put in the seed in
every vacant spot, where other crops
have failed, or have been gathered.
Put itIn among the standing corn,
among the cucumber vines, ana where
the cabbages have dried up. Make
the land rich and mellow. Use bone
dust, or phospates, or phosphate
euano, or any kind Of well rotted
manure. It would pay well in many
cases to use liquid manure. If you
can get wood ashes, SOW them over
the young plants as soon as up. AS
for quantity ofseed, you cannot SOW
it as thin as it should be if you try
A pound for an acre Is more than
enough. For small potatoes, drilling
is best and il you drop the seeds
three inches apart, in drill fifteen in
ches apart, and all grow, you will
have great crop; that is, if your
:and is good. There is no crop
grown IN the Northern States more
profitable than turnip crop, and it
is great advantage that you can
grow it this year after 1t has been
demonstrated to you that other crops
must fail, in great measure. on ac-
count Of the greatest universal
drouth ever felt in this country. 1t
may be the salvation of much valuable
stock. It may add such.a quantity
to our edible products, that in great
measur it will relieve the pressure
that all must otherwise feel. 1t will
do much toward feeding our army,
which must have, supplies though the
people at home should suffer. A
great turnip crop will save US all
from suffering. 1t may save the
country from apartial famine. We
are now solely dependant upon a
great corn crop. At this writing.
July %, the prospect in the Eastern
states.is gloomy indeed. Without
a most copious rain within week,
the corn crop viii be an almost total
failure east Of Ohio. In that and
other Western States it is DOW prom
Using. It was destroyed last year
by frost 1t may be again. Then
famine would stare us as fully in the
face as war does. The wheat and
and other grain crops are below an
average all over the country. Pota
toes never looked worse: Our great
dependence is upon turnips. 1t is
the only crop that we can now plant
this year for Winter feed for cattle,
or food for man. Do not neglect
TO put in the seed, by the foolish ar
gument thatsturnips are no account
they are nearly all water No
matter if they are 'all water it is
water that feeds and fattens. We
speak whereof we know, when we tell
you that you can make good beef al
most exclusively of turnips. You
can almost Winter sheep and young
cattle upon turnips alone. We can
Winter pigs upon boiled turnips,
with avery little meal, cheaper than
upon any other food we ever fed
It Ia idle. foolish, wicked, to dIscour-
age any one from growing turnips,
by telling him that they are no ac-
count We tell you that they are
They are OF more valee, according TO
the cost of their production than any
other crop that we ever grew. And
above all else, turnip crop never
impoverishes the soil, and, there
never was year when there was SO
much need for everybody to SOW tur
nips. Let this be remembered.