The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-07-26
WHOLE NO. 1901.
Farmers Column.
Effect of the Turnip Crop on the
Soil.


MeSSrs. Editors 1T is somewhat sim
gular how many and different opinions
prevail among farmers in relation to the
effect of cultiyating different crops OH
the soil. Among the different crops
that are raised there is perhaps as much
diversity Of opinion in relation to the
effect Of the turnip crop as any one.
Since | commenced raising turnips have
frequently heard it said that the turnip
would poison the land, that other crops
would not do well after it, and that after
raising it few years the turnip itself
would not do well on the same farm on
which it had been raised. Now in my
own experience | have proved all these
assertions, as well as many others, to be
entirely without foundation, and have
no doubt that in most of the instances
in which crops that succeeded crop of
turnips have failed, the failure was to be
attributed to other causes than the
turnip.
believe that it is admitted at the
present time that one of fundamental
principles of agriculture is, that those
crops which have the smallest and fewest
leaves, with the largest number OF roots,
draw the most Of their nourishment from
the soil, and but little from the atmos-
phere, and consequently they exhaust
the soil on which they grow much more
than the opposite class Of plants which
have many and large leaves, with but
few and small roots, which are supposed
to obtain a much larger proportion OF
their food from the atmosphere, and less
from the soil. If this principle is cor
rect one, then the turnip must be one of
least exhaustive crops to the soil that is
raised. Whether other cultivated crops
will do as well after turnips as be-
fore, l cannot say, as my turnip crop
is the last cultivated crop | put on my
land before seeding down to grass. l
have raised turnips two years in success
ion on the same land with good success
After the turnip crop SOW spring grain
and seed down grass. have sown rye,
oats and barley, and all these crops have
succeeded well, and | have never failed
Of getting good catch Of grass, and
/ good crops Of it, for several successive
years after it, as good as l have ever OBJ
tained after any crop. Whether the
turnip will fail to do well, or grow on
the same farm after a series of years, my
experience of more than twenty years
has failed to prove. 1t rather goes to
diPrOre it, as my last crop was equal in
every respect to any crop have ever
raised. 1t seems to me that the increas-
ing and successful cultivation which this
crop is reyiying in this country and Can
ada, and the long and successful expert
ence which it has had in England, are
sufficient to set at rest all the objections
which have been raised against this crop,
and to commend it to the favorable con-
sideration Of the farmers of this country.
Setting aside the depredations of in
sects, and the effects of weather, which
no farmer can avoid, l think that most
of the failures in raising this crop have
arisen from the selections of unsuitable
soil, the want of sufficient manure, and
the lack of careful cultivation, and under
these unfavorable circumstances no one
need to expect to raise good crops of
any kind. While on the other hand,
if the same judgment, care and skill is
used in the cultivation Of this crop that
is used in the cultivation of other crops,
there can be no reason why the same
degree of success cannot be attained as
with other crops. The turnip requires
a dry mellow soil, an abundant supply
of manure, with clean and careful cul-
tivation, and with these requisites sup
piled, crops can be relied on, and failure
in proportion as they are disregarded.-
Cuh'rat0r.