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Show THE TURNIP AND ITS EHEMIES j By W. K, Gilbert, " 4, , Swedes may bo sown any time from the flrst of May until the 15th of June In the Northern latitudes; In the South earlier of course. It Is not my intention to go Into the details of cultivation cul-tivation of this crop, but to point out somo of the dangers of failure. Theso are: Poor cultivation, Insect pests and disease. The most troublesome Insects aro the fly. tho wlroworm and tho aphli: tho diseases are club foot, or flngor and too and the phoma disease causing caus-ing decay of tho bulbs. The turnip-fly is the moBt troublesome trouble-some in dry weather. It frequently clears off tho young plants so effectually effect-ually that a second sowing becomes necessary. The steps that havo been found mont useful to save the crop from the fly are good cultivation, thick sowing, stimulating manure, mixing the seed, various dressings and light rolling Good cultivation, which reduces tho soli to a fine tilth, makes all conditions con-ditions favorable for rapid growth, and retains moisture In tho soil for sustaining growth. Stimulating manuro Is a very great help against the fly as It hurries tho plant past the dangerous stago. Farmyard manure Is not actlvo enough for this, but If in addition to the farmyard manuro, 1 cwL. per acre of nitrate of soda and a suitable quantity of superphosphate of basic slag bo applied beforo sowing the seed the growth will be rapid and danger of failure reduced. ThLs artificial manure should not be scattered through the soil, but should be laid In a row along the drills, after they arc half closed over tho farmyard farm-yard manure. GlHCH ' The closing of tho drills is then completed, leaving the artificial manuro ma-nuro sufficiently covered not to bo too close to tho seed, but close enough to feed tho young root soon after Bproutlng Thick sowing Is advisable, partly for the same reason as the artificial manuring, ma-nuring, to hurry the crop past tho danger stage, aa It Is well known that plants placed thickly always grow rapidly. A nccond reason for thick Turnip Flea Beetle """ " i jjl L i V - I ' Cow horn Turnip";, not very good jlelfl-ern, jlelfl-ern, niid Mibject to rot. sowing Is to have enough plants for somo to survlvo, if the fly should attack. at-tack. Mixing tho seed of white turnips with the Swedes Is useful, as the fly finds tho plant of tho white turnip moro attractive than the Swede. When tho time for thinning arrives the lesa valuablo white turnips that survlvo tho fly, may be thinned out. Dry, dusty dressings are woll known to discourage the fly. Tho only favorable favor-able thing that farmers can say of motorists Is that tho duBt they raise saves from tho fly any fleld of turnips-that turnips-that happens next to the road. Tho dressings usually recommended recommend-ed aro lime, or a mixture of lime, soot and sulphur. Any dressing of this kind should bo put on early In tho morning while tho dew la still on the leaves. A liquid dressing In tho shape of paraffin emulsion applied with a spraying-machine, is alBo very effective. The dressings hero recommended arc also useful to destroy tho gray aphis, which appears In tho heart of the leaves In the height of summer In dry weather. Rolling an attacked crop or driving a flock of shcop over tho fleld, has also been held to be serviceable, the object being to disturb tho fly, also to consolidate tho soil around the plants. Tho turnip fly lo kept alive on weeds of tho turnip grass, such as preshaugh, shophord'a purse, rocket, etc, and such plants should bo rigidly rigid-ly kept down. Also the fly finds shelter shel-ter In heaps of loose rubbiBh around tho fence?, so that tidy farming may do a good deal toward reducing tho damage caused by tho pest. Wireworms would be reduced very materially, If the birds were allowed free range, whllo tho tllago Is going on, as wlro worms prove an Irresistible Irresisti-ble attraction to them .jU i I r fj? & ft Ml A ' White Vienna Kohlrabi, worth trying. |
