192 [Senate 



20 day's harvesting, at 55,, 12 .50 



Interest on land, 7 . 00 



Expenses, $69 .50 



1059 bushels of carrots, at Is., $132.37 



Deduct expenses, 69.50 



Nett profit, $62.87 



FIELD BEETS. 



ONTARIO COUNTY. 



Statement of Charles B. Meek, of Ontario county, relative to his 

 crop of mangel wurtzel, yielding 1101 bushels per acre, and which 

 received the first premium of the State Agricultural Society. The 

 statement is fully attested by surveyor and witnesses. 



The condition of the soil where the mangel wurtzel grew, was not 

 very high at the commencement of preparation for present crop. 

 Quality of soil, part sand, a small part clay, and the remainder loam. 

 The roots were the largest on the last. The previous crop was oats. 

 After this crop was harvested, the land was manured with unfermen- 

 ted manure, in October, at the rate of 40 loads to the acre, which was 

 plowed in immediately, and the land lay in that state till the spring. 

 On the 20th of April, it was cross-plowed and w^ell harrowed. On 

 the 10th of May we commenced drawing it up in ridges, but were 

 driven off by rain, and the ground was not again in a fit state to work, 

 until the 20th of May, when we planted it with two kinds of seed, 

 procured from Mr. Skirvine, of Liverpool, England — the long red, 

 and the long yellow. The former made the best crop. He also sent 

 me two other kinds, which succeeded very well, the red globe, and 

 the orange globe. We sowed at the rate of about 6 lbs. to the acre, 

 and from repeated trials, we have found the following plan of sowing 

 the most certain : After the land is drawn up into ridges 30 inches 

 apart, and as soon after as possible, one person with his hoe makes a 

 bed for the seed every 12 inches along the ridge, a second person 

 drops the seed, six or eight in a place, and a third covers the seed with 

 a hoe ; is very careful to cover the seed with fine and moist soil, and to 

 press it down lightly with his hoe. We never soak our seed, for we 

 find that by having the soil in a proper state for the reception of the 

 seed, it will be up in one week in any kind of weather. Whereas, if 

 the seed be soaked, and very dry weather succeed, the chances are 

 that the seed will perish. I consider it a great advantage to sow the 

 seed in the first instance at the distances you wish the plants to stand, 

 as by this plan you are enabled to cut up every weed as soon as the 



