Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1876 — Sow Late Turnips. [ARTICLE]

Sow Late Turnips.

There is no disguising the fact that the almost incessant rains which have poured a flood of water during the past four weeks over a large area of the great corrigrowing region of the Western States will seriously affect that crop this year. With no desire to create alarm we may say that we have received letters from reliable parties scattered over a wide district of country, which plainly indicate that in numerous localities there will not be more than half a crop of corn. With favorable weather and good management from this time on, the aggregate of the crop may not be so largely reduced as to materially affect the price, nevertheless, farmers, in many places will have a short crop, and thereby be subjected to more or less loss and inconvenience. How to make the best of the situation, and, as far as possible, avert disaster, is the problem which every prudent farmer will endeavor to answer for nimself. We will make a suggestion. A good opportunity is now presented for many farmers who have never raised turnips for stock, to give them a trial. The soil of the prairies is well adapted to late turnips, and there is little probability that the season will be unfavorable to them. There are a number of varieties the seed of which may he sown in July and the early part of August, and we advise our friends whose corn crops will be greatly diminished, to prepare the ground as soon as possible and sow turnip seed. Dark soils usually are highly favorable to the crop, as they contain the necessary requirements of this product. The ground should be thoroughly prepared, and as free from weeds as possible. Generally the seed is sown broadcast, and the crop is given no further attention until it is harvested, but this is not the. best way at any time, and especially in a season which has been as wet as this. It is much better to sow in drills, say two feet apart, and cultivate the crop in order to keep down the weeds, and the ground loose and mellow. A pound of good seed is a large quantity for an acre, but it is not safe to use a less quantity, for the reason that many may not germinate, Should all of them, or nearly so, come up, it will be necessary to thin out to four or six inches in the drill. Under ordinary circumstances, good seed will germinate in two or three Says, and as soon as the rough leaves are an inch broad the cultivator should be started and the plants kept clear of weeds. A moist atmosphere is tavorable to the growth of the crop, and this is what is expected during the fall months, and the turnips enlarge much more rapidly in cool weather than during that wfeteh is hot. Too little attention is paid to turnips by Western farmers. Here and there a man who has learned the value of the crop for stock-feeding, raises it, but as a rule it is negleqted. As we remarked above, the present is a favorable opportunity for many of our friends to try the experiment, and, in some degree, mitigate the misfortune of a short crop of corn. We are sure that they will find it a satisfactory and paying investment, beside affording their stock a food which is greatly relished and highly beneficial to • them. —Prairie Farmer.