CHAPTER XII. 

 Field Root Crops. 



Sod land that has been plowed shallow in the y^J^fr^^oe'"' 

 early autumn and thoroughly prepared according Crops, 

 to previous directions, also manured and ribbed, is 

 in the most desirable condition for root crops, 

 especially mangels, sugar beets and carrots, that 

 require to be sown as early in the spring as the soil 

 is sufficiently dry and in fine tilth. The first opera- 

 tion in spring is the levelling of the ribs by harrowing 

 and cultivating. If the soil is of a sandy and porous 

 nature, five or six inches will be sufficiently deep to 

 cultivate, but clay soil should be loosened ten inches 

 deep with the subsoiler (III. i), cultivating both 

 ways (crossing) to loosen the subsoil, so that all 

 rain water will percolate into the subsoil and allow 

 the air free access into the soil to warm it and assist 

 the bacteria to act on the vegetable matter and 

 make it available for plant food. Another object 

 in loosening clay soil is to allow the rootlets of deep- 

 rooted plants free access to feed on the mineral 

 matter contained in the subsoil. When roots are 

 fed on the farm the quality of the farmyard manure 

 is improved very materially for growing succeeding 

 crops. 



After subsoiUng, harrow and cultivate until there shaUow pnUs, 



_ ,.■•., , ,, .. , _,_, ., , , Made with 



IS a fine tilth; then roll if dry. While good results Ribbers on the 

 are produced from sowing on the level, still the subsoUer 

 writer prefers shallow drills, which are made with ^'^*™*- 

 a double mould-board drill plow with marker (see 

 III. ij), so that the drills are of equal width. This 

 is an advantage for horse hoeing. Drills for all 

 root crops, including potatoes, can be made with 



