Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-08-11
AGRICULTURAL.
FaRu, GARDEN AVID HOUSEHOLD.
apow,Na WATER CROSSES.

none are more highly priced than wa
ter Crosses. Judging from the hlgh |
price at which they are sold IN our
city markets, their culture must be very |
profitable, ipasmuch as q plantation |
once established yields regular income |
every wear. The water-cress NdStesr- |
linn offciadle.) a member of the Mus
tard Family, is a native OF Europe. LII
is, In many of the older settled parts
of the country, naturallzed In the dltch-
es and streams Though we have often
collected the cress from the places IN
which it grew spontaneously, we never
cultivated ii, and as we can not draw
upon our own experience, we give the
following directions for ITS cultivation
from the London Gardeners Chronicle,
asking those who can suggest any mod
ification of the mode of culture TO do
so. ether cultivation is easy where
there is a command of gently flowing
stream, and a depth of from three to
six inches of water can be secured. LII
the bottom is OF mud it must be re-
moved and a new bottom of gravel sub
stituted. The best time TO form beds
is Nav and June, for autumn use, and
September and October, for spring use,
at which time select strong, well-rooted
cuttings, aud fasten them to the bottom
of the stream on the gravel, by means
of a stone placed on each cutting. The
rows In shallow water should be Is
inches apart, but If the stream Is very
deem. four or five feet is not too much.
Care should be taken, in gathering the
crop, not TO disturb the plants; hence
it is always best to use a knife instead
of breaking them off. " The Bitter
cress (Bar5ared Uulgd'is,) is sometimes
sold In our markets. 1t rs greatly infe-
rior TO the Water-cress, has less round
ed divisions to the leaves, and ITS how-
ers are yellow, while those of the Water
cress are white.
TURNIPs-KINDs AND CULTURE.
Like peas, turn1ps can not endure the
heat of our summers. They survive,
but do not do well, the crops being
corky and light, they are therefore sown
late IN the season, SO that the roots shalt
fill ont and mature in the cool weather
of the Autumn. Those sown early for
the table in July, do well also. The
usual time for sowing turnips for the
main crop is after the last of July, and
before the middle of August. Those
sown very late, that is, after the first
week in August, should not be risked
on any but warm, light and rich
ground, not over moist. In some OF
the elevated counties of Central New
York. where the land is heavy and hard.
turnips must be sown as early as the
middle of June or first of July, to make
a crop, but such locations are the excbp-
tions.
The soil for turnips should be mellow
and well enriched, but not with rank
manure. 1t is best if the soil is deep,
but deep blowing for the crop, without
previous deep culture, IS not the thing.
However, any good 4-inch soil, not
choked with weeds, give fair returns.
The best favored turnips for the table
are produced on light, sandy loans IN
GOOD heart, but in which manure has
disappeared from sight.
For field culture, when the crop IS
TO be marketed for table use, the Col
den-ball, Snowfall, and Purple-top
Strap-leaved, are among the very best,
Welding well and being excellent for
NAV be had of most seedsmen, as they
are old standard varie ties. One pound
of seed TO the acre is the rule, but much
less will do if the drill be properly set,
or If it be mixed with sand or earth, so
that the whole field may be evenly sOwn
broadcast. 1t is best TO SOW in drills,
20 inches apart, and to thin with the
hoe to the breadth of the hoe blade
apart. Thus the ground may be kept
clean, and while much better crop is
gained, the soil has most of the bene-
fits of summer fallow.
Ruta bagas, or Swedish turnips may
be sown as late as the first week In July,
and upon lana IN good filth, give good
crops. If the soil is shallow, TURF the
burrows together in pairs, and sow on
the top of the ridges. covering the seed
a little deeper than if sown on the flat.
Wet land may be treated in the same
way. The ruta-baga needs a richer soil
than is necessary for the English tur-
nips, and has much heavier, firmer,
and more nutritious flesh. Late sown
crops are smaller, for the roots do not
get so large, as they must be harvested
before they get their growth, neverthe-
less, they are better for the table, and
find reader market than If very large.
The chief value of both these crops,
however, is Tor affordiHg succulent fOd-
der for stock during the winter. The
turnips being consumed in the autumn
and early winter, and the ruta -bagas to-
ward spring. The best kinds of ruta-
bagas to SOW are, perhaps, Skirving's
Purple-top, a yellow tieshed variety,
and the PuTple-tOp White, which has
white flesh. Sow in drills like turnlps,
20 to "a inches apart, and thin to 10
inches apart IN the early season, but
later let them stand little closer.
For our own part we prefer rutabagas
to turnips, for every purpose, and
yould SOW them upon all land that we
can get in order in time, bnt they re-
quire so long season that 1T IS rarely
possible to use them as "A second crop,
even in the garden. The turnips there
fore have to be used generally after or
among other crops, to follow and take
of the soil. Rutabagas may
DE drilled IN between the rows of on
ions and take possession, when they are
harvested in August or September, but
even for this, turnips are better. Tur-
nips may be sown among corn, and the
seed hoed in at the last hoeing, they
follow early potatoes well, and do well
after winter grain. They ought sell
dom to be allowed to occupy land upon
which late cabbages would grow profit
ably, unless the labor which cabbages
would require prevent their cultivation,
for we know no crop which, ON soil
adapted to it, will produce more food.
Agricuhurist,
RAISE YOUR OWN CLOVER SEED.