Connecticut western news., 1881-08-17
FARM AND GARDEN.

ENGL1Sd lCRN1PS AND ISUTA-BAGAS.- - Turnips for winter use are now being sown as a second crop in fields left vacant by early potatoes, peas and the like. Among root crops turnips, and especially ruta-bagas, hold favorable position as feed for stock, hence an in creased cultivation of late crops. With this increased cultivation has come the knowledge that it pays to properly pre- pare and fertilize the soil for turnip seed and carefully SOW the seed m. 4
 An excellent soil for turnips is rich sandy loam, broken deep and we'll pull verized, but any good land, free from weeds and moderately rich, will, with good cultivation, yield paying crop of turnips. :: Experience has proven the effective ness of fertilizing the turnip crop with night soil or stable manure and gener- ous sprinklings of either wood-ashes, plaster or phosphates. Super -phos- phates appear to be a special manure for this root, and applied either broad cast or in the drills, exert 8 decided in- fuence on the growth of the crop Wood-ashes are in the nature of things effective, the turnip, like the potato, be- ing potash plant. -~. -
 There is no better time in which to SOW turnip seed, especially on clay soil :, than after rain, as soon after as the ground can be conveniently worked. The soil, by the way, ought for best results to be made smooth and fine for the reception of the seed. Sowing in drills sufficiently fan apart to admit of cultivation, and thinning out theEplants to say ten inches apart, is an excellent plan and the safer one where ruta-bagas are concerned. The yield will be enough larger to pay for the extra work re- quired. -....'- The English varieties as rule are grown for early market, while the Swedes or ruta- bagas are planted later for the winter feeding of stock. The purple-top Swede is classed among pop ular sorts for late planting; so is the red-top strap leaf, yellow Aberdeen and American ruta-baga.
 The turnip-fy, or turnip fea-beetle, as it is also called, is in many localities serious obstacle to the cultivation of ruta- bagas. Its destructive operations are we'll known to most famers, for, not content with the turnip crop, it fre- quently ruins entire fields of cabbages. There appears to be no certain prevent i've of the turnip-fy. The wise course is to force the young plants by suitable fertilizers and good cultivation on be- yond the reach of it's depredations. Lime sprinkled over the plants has in some instances proved of service. To. bacco-water applied while still warm is another remedy sometimes resorted tc with good effect. -. ss
 Cultivators who grow ruta-bagas or an extended scale for stock begin har. vesting 8 few at time, as their COWS will eat the tops. These tops, it must be explained, are excellent food fol keeping up the flow of milk in the fall.
 Many roots are lost every year be cause harvested too early. A few sharr frosts will improve their favor. IT storing turnips it should be remembered that heat is more liable to injure thil crop than cold. Therefore, in addition to harvesting late, care must be observed not to store the roots in great bulk When stored in bulk the roots heat anc dormant buds begin to grow. <,
 To guard against these undesirable results many of our best cultivators practice storing their turnips in trenches about foot and a half wide, two fee deep and as long as may be required The roots are placed in these trenches tt a depth of about one foot only and light ly covered with earth. As the weathe1 becomes colder more covering is gradu ally added until the trench is quite filled Ruta-bagas are better keepers than tur nips, but require much the same pre- cautions. It is common practice tt "top" and "tail the roots previous to storing.
 ONIONS. it is desired to keel onions through the winter it is wise tt store the crop where the frost will no affect it, and where no loss will be sus tained from heating or growing I'm cellar is not good place unless it be dry, cool one. A lattice-work bin af lords good storage, provided it Ii raised little from the floor in soln we'll ventilated building.
 When freezing weather, approache some farmers spread straw to depth o twelve or fifteen inches upon barn o garret floor; on this they spread lave of onions from six to ten inches thick covered in turn by layer of straw, sa. ; two feet in depth, and held in place b old boards and rails. & -- , Onions receive little or no injury fror freezing, provided always they ar thawed out gradually; as this cannt always be insured, the safe plan is t : protect them. If by any chance the l l become frozen, however, let them re main undisturbed and covered unt thawed.
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