No. 85. J 193 



plants show themselves. We do not single out the plants until they 

 attain a good size. If singled out whilst small, they are very liable 

 to be cut off by insects. This operation of singling out the plants 

 requires a practiced hand ; indeed without skillful hands the expense 

 and uncertainty of the crop is so great, as to have discouraged many 

 farmers from growing roots. The first crop of weeds destroyed, and 

 the plants singled out, the rest of the cultivation is very easy. Of 

 course all weeds must be kept down afterwards, but this may be ef- 

 fectually done by once more hand-hoeing, and using the cultivator as 

 often as necessary. Even if weeds should not spring up between the 

 rows, I would strongly recommend a frequent use of the cultivator. 

 The crop was harvested in the middle of October. Amount of pro- 

 duce, 13 t., 15 c^'t., 28^ lbs., or 550bushe]s, 28ilbs=1101 bushels, 

 7 lbs. per acre. 



Value of crop per acre, 1101 bushels, 7 lbs., at 6 



cents per bushel, $66 06 



Expense of crop, per acre, 21 .00 



Profit, $45.06 



I have omitted to mention one circumstance which I consider con- 

 tributed very materially to the success of the crop. Before drawing 

 the land into ridges, we spread upon it a good wagon load of un- 

 leached ashes, and harrowed them well into the soil. As far as the 

 ashes were spread, the plants seemed always to be several weeks in 

 advance of the rest of the field. 



CHARLES B. MEEK. 



Canandaigua, Dec. 24, 1844. 



CAYUGA COUNT y. 



Statement of J. F. Osborn, of Cayuga county, relative to his crop 

 of Sugar Beets, yielding 328 J bushels on a half acre, or 657 per acre, 

 as properly authenticated, and to which was given a premium of the 



State Society. , 



I planted one acre and 24 square rods to beets. I intended half 

 for mangel wurtzel, but they proved to be mostly yellow sugar beet, 

 and did not do as well as the white sugar beet. I had of the latter, 

 on half the ground surveyed, 328 J bushels. On the other half I had 

 only 260 bushels. The soil was loam and gravel, and planted with 

 potatoes last year ; then manured with eight loads of sheep manure. 

 This year I put on fifteen loads of sheep and horse manure, and plow- 

 ed it twice, and dragged it and planted it on the 4th of June. The 

 rows were two feet six inches apart, and ten inches between hills — 

 and harvested on the 7th of October. 



[Senate, No. 85.] N 



