232 AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



hoed, and thinned ; the hoeing must be repeated at least twice. 

 When sufficiently large, so as not to be injured, the cultivator 

 may be run between them, and the weeds kept down till the 

 leaves cover the ground. 



508. The leaves are of little value for feeding stock, cattle not 

 liking them. Carrots may be dug with an iron fork, or by a 

 blunt plow, as is recommended for parsnips, the tops being cut 

 off. They are not injured by moderate frost, but when severely 

 frozen they are apt to rot as they thaw. On the other hand, 

 when put in large heaps, and kept very warm, they soon fer 

 ment and rot. The safest mode is to place them in layers alter 

 nately with straw, in cellars or heaps, ventillation being allowed 

 till the approach of severe cold, w^hen the heaps must be covered 

 with straw or earth. 



509. The following is the cost of raising a crop of one acre of carrots, 

 at Fredonia, Chantauque county, New York, in 1848, on green sward 

 turned under, rolled down, and harrowed with a fine harrow, and sowed 

 on top of the sod, May 4th. ( Trans, of N. Y. Agricul. Soc y. vol. viii. 

 p. 327.) 



Plowing and harrowin.er 1^ drays, tenm $1.25 



Raking and sowing 10 days @62&amp;gt; cents, ...................................... 6.25 



Hoeing and weeding 16 &quot; &quot; ......... . .......................... 10.0 



do second time 10&quot; &quot; &quot; .................................... .6.25 



Harvesting 33&quot; &quot; &quot; .................................... 20.63 



4 tbs Seed 40 &quot; ..................................... 1.60 



Interest on land, ......................................... 3.50 



S50.ll 

 996 bushels carrcts at 12^ cents, 120.75 



Profit, $70.64 



703^ days of man s labor, and \}&amp;lt;% days of horse labor upon one acie 

 of land. Twelve and a half cents per bushel is apparently a very high 

 price, when the true nutritive value, and the quantity of water con 

 tained are compared with the price of oats, buckwheat, or some other 

 roots.* 



*If Oats are worth 37 &amp;gt; cents per bushel, Carrots are evidently too dear at 12&amp;gt; 

 cents, if the following mode of estimating the value of food is correct. We take equal 

 weights of the two vegetables to be compared and find the equivalent proportions of 

 putriment in each. Thus: 



Oatg 100 ft - - - Carrots 100 lb 



Deduct water, 16 &quot; - - - - 88 &quot; 



Solid* Je# UT&quot; - - - - 22 &quot; 



