The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-21
The Turnip Crop.

Now that the farmer is through with
most of his crops, says Thomas b. Baird in
the Southern CultiUGtor for July. he should
see to sowing good patch of turnips.
There are few crops that the farmer raises
that pay him better than the turnip, for the
time and expense it involves. Turnips are
not only valuable for the table, but most
stock will do will on them, sheep will eat
them greedily. and make returns in wool and
mutton. For young cattle they are just the
same, furnishing material for making bone
and muscle. They are good for hogs, and
are great help in keeping the system in
good condition, and make hogs fatten
faster. do not know that they have much
| fat forming qualities in themselves, but they
aid in keeping the appetite good and the
| whole system in better condition. One of
my neighbors fattened lot of hogs last fall
that he said fattened much faster after he
fed them on turnips. He cooked them-not
that they were any better, but the hogs ate
| them better Objections are made to feed
! ing mich cows on turnips, on account of the
| flavor impaired to the milk, and similar OBJ
| lection is made to feeding beef cattle on
| turnips, on account of the meat having the
offensive turnip taste, but l have eaten NUT
| ton that was fattened on turnips alone and
discerned no bad flavor. But it is said if
| the turnips are omitted week before kill
ing, the flesh will not taste of turnips. The
meat of beef fed freely on turnips is usually
| juicy, tender, healthy and well-flavored. 1t
has been said that the reason the English
| mn haD IL ic ha-
| cause they feed largely on turnips.
Many claim that there is no feeding value
in turnips, but l cannot but think differ
| emily. l have seen sheep kept on a turnip
| field that made the best of mutton, and that
tasted of no other feed.
Last winter was an unusually warm one,
! and turnips had thrifty to, S growing all
| the time, and l have seen young calves that
did well, not only well but grew fat and
were solid in early spring for beef. They
| were fed a little bran and meal in addition,
but not much. It seems to me in the south,
where winters are milder, the turnip could
be made good pasture for young cattle all
| through the winter season. 1t seems to me
it would be good advantage to mich COWS
to Craze on through the day. l have fed
| the tops TO mich COWS in the fall after pas
lures had failed, with good results.
The turnip delights in cool moisture, anC
therefore a rather heavy soil is to be pre-
ferred to light one. Soils entirely new ar,
best, having abundance of ashes from the
brush burned on the ground and vegetable
mold. They produce the finest and sweetes
roots. Old land we'll MANFRED makes larger
turnips, but they are more liable to be worn
eaten, and are not so mild. 1t is mis-
taken idea that because turnips are cheaply
grown they will grow well on poor land
| The best way to grow a small patch of tur-
nips, if old land is sowed, is to fence off a lot
in early spring and pen the cattle on it at
| night until sowing time. Cow manure is
| of a cool nature, and seems we'll adapted to
the turnip growth. 1t should be turned un.
der occasionally, which will improve the
condition of the soil and preserve and more
thoroughly mix the COW droppings with the
| soil. ! have seen turnips sown in this wav,
and at the same time grass seed sown plenti-
| fully, ard the next summer fine lot Of hay
was taken from the ground.
| Prepare the ground we'll and have q
smooth seed bed, that there may be no i'm
| pediments in the way to hinder growth,