168 •south KENNEBEC SOCIETY. 



otlier replenished the basket; the "whole was then harrowed 

 twice over lengthwise of the rows, witli a harrow drawn by a 

 horse, to cover the seed and mix the manure with the soil. 



The sowing was done on the 22d of June, and as the ground 

 was quite dry at tlie time, I had fears the seed would not ger- 

 minate. Two days after, on the morning of the 2-ith, a heavy 

 dew having fallen, I repeated the harrowing. The seed came 

 lip well. The after culture consisted in twice hoeing, using a 

 cultivator between the rows at each hoeing. Between the hoe- 

 ings, about 20th of July, a bag of super-phosphate of lime was 

 sown between the rows, and worked in with the cultivator. 

 The repeated use of the cultivator kept the ground between the 

 rows perfectly clear, and as it was run near the plants, the 

 hoeings consisted in little more than thinning them out. No 

 transplanting was required. 



The harvesting was done the first of November. In the 

 morning while the tops were frozen, they were cut off with 

 sharp hoes while the root was in the ground. Tiie tops were 

 tlien collected into heaps with manure forks. Having a piece 

 of the neck or stem attached, they were taken up in this way 

 without waste, and being done before the roots were disturbed^ 

 were without dirt. Tops taken off in this manner, if hauled 

 under cover while frozen, will keep a long time, and are valua- 

 ble feed for fattening cattle. The roots were turned out of 

 the ground with hoes, and thrown into ridges far enough apart 

 to pass between with a team. From the ridges they were 

 thrown into the cart, hauled to the cellar, dumped and thrown 

 into the bin ; taking care at each handling to take one in each 

 hand and strike together such as have small roots or dirt ad- 

 hering to them. By this rough handling they became well 

 cleared of fibres and dirt by the time they arrived at the bin. 

 No danger is to be apprehended from rough handling. They 

 never rot in consequence of it. The only fear of rot is from 

 heating in the bin ; and to avoid this, should not be put in large 

 bodies, especially, not be piled high. They may be thrown into 

 heaps, and into the cart, with as little care, and with as much 

 despatch as stones, without fear of injury. 



Now I am ready to give a yankee demonstration of the com- 

 parative value of the concentrated manures, so far as used in, 



