consequence is, slow growth and small turnips, especially if the weather be dry.

To get early turnips free from worm, is the main object; and so seldom is it obtained, that three-quarters of the farmers in the County of Essex abandon the idea of raising them for their own consumption-much more for the market.

When in market, I have been amused to hear remarks, and questions propounded like the following:-"You must have stiff land to produce such turnips. Did they not grow upon that meadow of yours?" Says another, "Your land must have been very poor, upon which you could raise nothing else." Again, "The Lord must have favored you more than others, for we cannot raise them." "You must have salted your land abundantly." Finally, "You must have some secret of which you will not inform us.'

Having no secrets to reveal-and attributing nothing to the immediate interposition of Divine Providence, unless it be a frown in sending the maggot for the abuse of His past mercies -I would state that my method of culture is as follows:The land is a light, sandy loam. The sub-soil is a coarse, gravelly loam, and leachy. This land is excellent for the corn crop, or most other crops grown in this county. The amount of land seeded to turnips, the present year, is 1 3-4 acres and 10 square rods.

No. 1, new land, contains 103 rods. Ploughed April 9th, using the Michigan plough, No. 85; depth, 7 to 9 inches. Sowed April 13th. Two cords of manure, pure, from the cellar last autumn, was spread evenly upon the furrows. Also 125 lbs. No. 1 Peruvian Guano, well mixed with five or six bushels of damp soil, and spread very evenly with the hand, and then harrowed thoroughly across the furrows with a light iron tooth harrow. The brush-harrow was then used to smooth the surface for sowing, which was done by a machine, in drills. from sixteen to eighteen inches in width. Kind of seedStrap Leaved Red and White top; quantity of seed to the acre about a pound. Weeding and thinning the plants to a

distance of three to five inches, was done in the latter part of May. Stirring the soil and cutting weeds with the hand hoe, was performed about June 10th.

Lot No. 2, containing 72 rods, second year seeded to turnips, was spread over with about two cords of manure of similar quality to lot No. 1, together with 120 lbs. of Mape's Nitrogenized Superphosphate of Lime.

Lot No. 3, contains 73 rods, and has been seeded to turnips seven years in succession. Applied 1 1-2 cords of manure; also, 125 lbs. of Coe's Improved Superphosphate of Lime.

Lot No. 4 contains 42 rods, and was spread with about one cord of manure, together with forty pounds of Peruvian Guano and two or three bushels of wood ashes. Sowed April 5th, being the third season to turnips.

From May 15th to June 15th, the plants upon the new land were forward, very fine, and promising. June 14th, thirty bunches were pulled for the market, some of them measuring three inches in diameter. At this period, and a few weeks following, the drought was very severe; and two or three days previous to the rain, the weather was exceedingly scorchingalmost ruining this piece of turnips; and, consequently, but little value, comparatively, was realized from it.

Guano contains a large amount of ammonia, and tends rather to large development of leaves and stems. I have grown a good crop from Guano alone, spreading at the rate of two hundred pounds to the acre. As a help to other manure, it may be used with good success. But, so far as my experience in fertilizers is concerned, I am of the opinion that Mape's Superphosphate of Lime is the best for turnips.

The idea that turnips will not do well, raised upon old land, is wrong; or that the land must be poor, and the more sandy the better, is also erroneous. The land should be good, and in good heart; and the turnip, to be of the finest quality, should derive its support mainly from the soil and atmosphere. More manure than is needed to give the turnip vigorous growth, is injurious to the crop, both because it tends to invite,

or create, worms, and because its causes large bulbs, rather impeding the growth of the turnip, causing it to be coarsegrained, and imparting to it a strong flavor.

In ploughing land, new or old, for the growth of turnips, but little danger need be apprehended in ploughing it too deep, especially if the sub-soil be loamy. But, though an advocatə of deep tillage, discretion, of course, must be used, if other crops are to be grown in the same soil.

Turnips may be sown as early in the spring as they can be got into the ground, without any risk of having them destroyed by frost. Sowing some seed early in April, which germinated finely, snow fell upon them to the depth of three inches, some of it remaining two or three days-the ground also being frozen, forming a crust half an inch in thickness, without materially injuring them.

Plants may be started in hot-beds, and transplanted at the time of sowing seed in April; but particular care must be used in having them acclimated, or but little, if anything, will be gained in forwarding. If they are forced beyond their nat ural growth, by the use of manure, large shoots will appear, growing to the height of two or three feet, when buds, blossoms and seeds will appear, defeating the object of early enlarging the bottoms. In the culture of turnips upon land that is doubtful as to producing them free from worm, much may be gained by removing the surface soil from about the roots, so that the turnip may be formed above ground, which is not an unnatural position.

Plants may be safely thinned, generally, when the rough leaf appears. The crop should be kept free from weeds, perhaps until the first of July, when they may be suffered to grow without injury, as seven-eighths of the crop will be removed during the month; but should be pulled or cut, and carried off, or burnt upon the soil, and not ploughed under-as all substances undergoing decomposition, not intended for plant food, should be kept from a pure soil.

For the last two or three years, the maggot has more or less

infected the turnip. It is caused by a fly. My reasons for this assertion are-1st, because none were discovered in our soil before the ravages upon the onion crop commenced; 2d, they devour the earliest and most tender plants, upon new land, first; 3d, there are two periods, at least of about three weeks' duration, in which time the turnip is not molested.

In preparing turnips for the market, they are pulled in the morning, and taken to the stream of water running through the lot, over which a building is erected to shelter from the sun and rain. The tap root being cut off, the turnips are passed along to be washed one at a time, by a brush made stiff with bristles, which is the most thorough and expeditious manner of cleaning. In bunching, uniformity in size is very important. This is secured by selecting the largest only in the lot, two or three times a week.

The expenses of the turnip culture, marketing, &c., will depend upon the distance from market, the kind of labor employed, the thoroughness of cleaning, and the quantity grown. It may give satisfaction if contrasted with the Corn crop; and in the culture of each crop I shall allow each man $1 per day, -the quantity of land to each crop, one acre.

1st, The average quantity and value per acre of

Pulling and cleaning for market 18 loads at $2 50, 45 00

I find by my records that I raised and sold, in 1858, 10,000 bunches of turnips, at a fraction over five cents per bunch. The quantity of land was about the same as this year, though not all of it under effective cultivation. I have sold, this season, 6,936 bunches, only receiving for them $276 25.

The quality of the turnips, this season, has been inferior to those in former years; but for their general quality, I insert, by permission, the testimony of J. F. Reed & Co., who have long dealt extensively in the vegetable market:

"Salem, Aug. 26, 1861.

This may certify that having been annually supplied with turnips by H. A. Stiles, from June 15th to the present time, we have regarded them as being fully equal, if not superior, as an early crop, to any brought into market, or grown in this county."

From all that has been stated above, it appears that the most important requisite to the successful culture of the turnip, is -1st, suitable land; 2d, good, fine manure, spread upon the