THE CULTIVATION OF TURNIPS.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 895, 19 March 1878, Page 3

THE CULTIVATION OF TURNIPS.

Sib,—l am sorry that a motion proposed by Mr Hicks at the meeting ot the Farmers' Club this afternoon " that an award be given for the best crop of ten acres of turnips grown m the distiict was rejected by a large majority, and that too immediately after a voie of thanks had. been accorded to Mr Hunt for his paper on the "Rotation of Crops," m which he expressed himself very strongly m favor of growing turuips as a means of preparing our land for the growth of wheat or barley. Mr Hicks explained, I think very clearly, the benefits which would be derived from the more extensive cultivation of this crop as a means of renewing and strengthening the fertility of our Boils, and I think the Club has this day failed m its duty m not carrying a motion which must have tended to a good end. I take it, sir, that it should be the object of aU agricultural societies such as the Cambridge Farmers' Club to encourage m every way they can any thing which will m any way tend to improve our system of farming, and to whom should our young farmers look for encouragement m such matters if not to these institutions ? It may be asked, but what good can the conferring of an empty award do? i Certainly nothing m a pecuniary way; *(but to have it said of me, by the most practical farmers m the country, that I had grown the best crop of turnips m the district would be an honor of which I should be,proud, and which I should be very zealous to preserve the possession of as long as I could, and I am much mistaken if the spirit of friendly rivalry thus created would not have a very beneficial effect m stimulating our young farmers to a better system of cultivation m the future. The growing of turnips is, I think, hound to become a very important feature m our farming operations, both from the applicability of the soil and the necessity there is for making some better provision for feeding our sheep through the winter; and lor this reason I was sorry that the meeting this afternoon failed to my mind to see the advisableness of adopting a measure which, if it had been properly carried out, might, 1 feel sure, have been the means of accomplishing much good.—l am, &c, Henby Buttle. Te Rapa, March 16th, 1878.