Chapter I · (continued 3)

Small Long Yellow.

Leaves very small, and spreading; root generally entirely under ground, small, and of an oblong or carrot shape, terminating abruptly at the point; skin pale yellow; flesh yellow, firm, dry, and sugary, with some degree of piquancy. It is a good variety for the table, and also a good keeper.

Snow-Ball.

Navet Boule de Neige. Vil.

The bulb of this variety is nearly spherical, very smooth and regular; size medium,—the average dimensions being four inches in diameter, four and a half in depth, and the weight about a pound. The neck is small, and the skin white. The flesh of the young bulbs is white, fine-grained, tender, and sugary; but, if overgrown or long kept, it is liable to become dry and spongy.

The variety is early, and, though classed by seedsmen as a garden turnip, is well adapted for field culture; as it not only yields abundantly, but succeeds well when sown late in the season on land from which early crops have been harvested.

Stone Globe.

Bulb globular, and regularly formed, growing mostly beneath the surface of the ground. It belongs to the White-globe varieties, and is considered the hardiest and the best suited for winter use of any of its class. The leaves are larger, stronger, and deeper colored, than any of the White-globe sorts.

Skin and flesh white; texture moderately close; flavor sweet, and its keeping properties good; size rather large.

Teltow, or Small Berlin.

Teltau.

This is said to be the smallest of turnips; its leaves not exceeding in number those of the radish. The root is fusiform or spindle-shaped, not very regular, and produced entirely under ground; skin dusky white; flesh dry, dull white, very fine-grained, piquant, and sugary; leaves erect, yellowish-green. Early. The roots measure three inches long by about an inch and three-fourths at their largest diameter, and weigh from three to four ounces.

The Teltow Turnip is much esteemed on account of its excellent qualities, and is one of the best early garden varieties.

According to Loudon, it is in high repute in France, Germany, and Holland; and is grown in the sandy fields around Berlin, and also near Altona, whence it is imported to the London market. It is, or was, grown in immense quantities in the neighborhood of Moscow.

The peculiar flavor is in the outer rind. When used, it should not be peeled. It bears transplanting well; and may be set in rows one foot apart, and nine inches apart in the rows.

Waite's Hybrid Eclipse.

A recent variety, of English origin, introduced by Mr. John G. Waite, a seed-merchant of London. As figured and described, it is of large size, very richly colored, and remarkably smooth and symmetrical. At the crown, it is broad and round-shouldered, and measures about six inches in diameter; which size is nearly retained to a depth of eight or nine inches, when it contracts in a conical form to a tap-root. Color of upper portion, clear purple, richly clouded, and contrasting finely with the yellow on the lower part. It is represented as a turnip of excellent quality, and as being very productive.

When cultivated in this country, it has generally fallen short of the excellence it is represented as attaining in England. It is apparently not adapted to the dry and warm summers of the United States.

White Globe. Law.

Common Field Globe.

Root globular; skin smooth, perfectly white; flesh also white; neck and tap-root small. Although this description embraces the principal characters of the White Globe, there is considerable variety in the turnips to which this name is applied, arising from the degree of care and attention bestowed by growers in selecting their seed-roots; and the shape is often not a little affected by the soil in which they are grown. Thus Globes of any kind, and particularly those of this variety, when grown on a very superior, rich soil, may be said to be forced beyond their natural size, and thereby acquire somewhat of a monstrous or overgrown appearance; losing, in a great measure, their natural symmetry.

This variety is better adapted to field culture than to the garden, as it is altogether too coarse in texture for table use. It is a poor keeper, and, in unfavorable seasons, sometimes decays before the time of harvesting. Specimens have been grown weighing fifteen and even eighteen pounds.

White Norfolk.

White Round.

A large English variety, somewhat irregular in form, but usually more or less compressed, and sometimes pyriform; the upper portion of the root being produced four or five inches above ground. Specimens sometimes measure ten or twelve inches in diameter. The leaves are large, and rather numerous; the skin white below the surface, and often white above, but sometimes washed with green; flesh white and coarse-grained, but sweet. Very late.

It is but a sub-variety of the Common Flat Turnip, and oftentimes attains a most extraordinary size. For the garden, it possesses no value. It is grown exclusively as an agricultural or field turnip; but is very liable to rot; soon becomes spongy; and can only be classed as third-rate, even for feeding stock.

White Stone.

Early Stone. White Garden Stone.

This common and well-known garden turnip somewhat resembles the White Dutch; but has stronger foliage, is rounder in form, and finer in texture. A carefully selected and improved variety of this is known by the name of Mouse-tail Turnip; and, in addition, some catalogues contain varieties under the name of Red-topped Mouse-tail, &c.

Skin and flesh white; size full medium, measuring three and a half to four inches in depth by four and a half or five inches in diameter.

White Tankard.

Navet Gras d'Alsace. Vil.

Bulb pyriform, cylindrical at the crown, which, like that of the Red Tankard, rises two or three inches from the ground; skin white in the earth, green above; flesh white, tender, sweet, rather firm, and close-grained. Early.

Vilmorin mentions two varieties; one having entire leaves, the other with lyrate or lobed leaves; giving preference, however, to the one with entire leaves.

Like most of the Tankards, the variety seems better adapted to agricultural than to horticultural purposes.

White-Top Flat.

Bulb similar in size and form to the Green-top Flat; leaves few and small; skin uniformly white; flesh white, firm, sugary, and well flavored. As a table variety, it is superior to the Purple-top Flat or the Green-top.

White-Top Strap-Leaved.

This is a sub-variety of the Purple-top Strap-leaved; differing little, except in color. The leaves are erect, few and small, somewhat lanceolate, and nearly entire on the borders; the bulb is of medium size, much flattened, green above ground, white below, and remarkably smooth and regular in form; tap-root very small; the flesh is white, very fine-grained, saccharine, mild, and excellent.

Early, productive, and recommended as one of the best varieties for field or garden culture.

The Strap-leaved Turnips appear to be peculiarly adapted to the climate of the Northern States, and are greatly superior in all respects to the Common White and Purple-top Flat varieties. Though of comparatively recent introduction, they have been widely disseminated; and, wherever grown, are highly esteemed.

Yellow Malta. M'Int.

Maltese. Golden Maltese.

A beautiful, very symmetrical, small-bulbed, early variety, slightly flattened above, somewhat concave about, the tap-root, which, as well as the neck, is remarkably small; skin very smooth, bright orange-yellow; foliage small, and not abundant,—on which account the plants may be grown quite close to each other; flesh pale-yellow, fine-grained, and well flavored. It is a good garden variety, and one of the best of the Yellows for summer use. Average bulbs measure two inches in depth, four inches in diameter, and weigh about ten ounces.

Yellow Scarisbrick.

Bulb flattened, smooth, and regular; neck small; skin pale yellow,—above ground, green; flesh yellowish-white, tender, and sweet; leaves of medium size, very pale-green. Season late. Well-grown specimens measure four inches in diameter, and about three inches in depth.

Yellow Stone.

Very similar to the Golden Ball or Yellow Globe. Compared with these varieties, the bulb of the Yellow Stone is produced more above ground, and the upper surface is more colored with green. One of the best of garden turnips.

Yellow Tankard. Vil.

Root somewhat fusiform, or of a long, irregular, tankard shape; the crown rising just above the ground. Average specimens measure seven or eight inches in length, three inches and a half in diameter, and weigh about twenty-four ounces. Skin yellowish-white below ground, green above; flesh pale yellow, firm, and sugary; leaves large. It is esteemed for the solidity of its flesh, and for its earliness and productiveness. A good variety for either field or garden.