90 STATE BOAllD OF AGKICULTURi:. 



end that the beet or carrot may grow long and straight. Every time wc plow 

 we have to contend with a new cio]) of weeds, and if the foul seeds first plowed 

 under arc not distuibcd we are not troubled with them during the season, only 

 such as are near tlie surface will gerniinate; many of these are destroyed by 

 the last working before planting. 



Selection of Seedn. 



It i.s very important to select good seed. Much of our labor in fitting the 

 soil will be lost, and money also, if the seed proves poor. I have always been 

 well satisfied when sending to D. M. Ferry & Co. 



Variety. 



My choice is the beet or carrot. They will yield more bushels per acre than 

 the turnip and are more valuable; are less liable to be injured by insects; 

 milk will not be tainted as with turnijis, and are more easily i)reparcd for feed- 

 ing. For hogs they need no cutting. Never had breeding stock do better 

 than when fed root.s during March and April. 



Sowing. 



All things being ready and weather warm, about the 20th of May, take the 

 garden drill, with marker attached, and sow in rows IS inches apart for hand- 

 tillage and 30 inches if the horse is to be used. My drill marks the rows, 

 drops and covers the seed, and rolls the ground all at once. Sow quite thickly 

 and thin out. 81iould there be open spots fill in with tlie White Flat Dutch 

 Turnip. 



Cullurc. 



Do not wait too long before beginning to cultivate. Even before the plant 

 can be i^een the drill marks may be followed, and a shallow working between 

 the rows will be found profitable, as they get larger, work deeper and closer. 

 The thinning out can be quite rapidly done by cutting at right angles to the 

 row with a sharp hoe, leaving a few pkuits to be pulled by hand. Beets may 

 stand from 10 to 18 inches and carrots 8 to I'Z inches apart, according to 

 strength of soil. The oftener they are worked the better, and siiould not be 

 left to themselves until the leaves shade most of the ground. 



Harvesting. 



Beets and carrots should be gathered before vei'y heavy frosts. A little 

 feezing may cause the top to become hollow and soft. A potatoe fork is very 

 valuable for loosening the ground, after which the root is readily out with the 

 hand and the top broken off before laying it down. They will keep better and 

 be nicer at time of feeding if allowed to dry a little before pitting. The beet 

 or cariot will withstand a very dry season even in light soil, but the yield will 

 vary, of course, according to the surroundings. With rows 30 inches apart 

 and the beets 18 inches in the row tiiere would be about 11.500 plants to the 

 acre. These will weigh nearly all the way from 2 pounds to perhaps 15 or 20 

 each. The few before me weigh from 3^ to 7^ jiounds. I have raised them, 

 on my light soil 22 inches in circumference, 24. long, weighing 17 pounds. If 

 the average weight was 5 pounds wo would have about 57,500 pounds, or 958 

 bushels per acre. I figure the cost of production as follows : 



