22*2 Satement of the Culture and Product of Green Crops. Vol. IV. 



A Statciiient 



Of the culture and product of Sugar Beet, 

 Mariirel Wurizsl, Field Carrot, and Su- 

 gar Farsnep on the farm of James Gowen, 

 Mount Airy, in the season of ld39. 



Submitted and read by James Gowen, before the 

 " Pliiladelphia Society for promoting Agriculture," 

 at their stated meeting, Wednesday, 5th Feb. inst. 



Tlie land set apart for these roots was part 

 of an old apple orchard, and is a light sandy 

 soil, intermixed with Mica, or Isinglass, and 

 from which a crop of corn had been taken the 

 previous year. It was ploughed as early in 

 the spring as possible, say 19th March, and 

 before ploughing was limed at the rate of 

 thirty busliels to the acre. It was permitted 

 to rest a few weeks, after which it had a 

 tolerable dressing of well rotted stable ma- 

 nure immediately ploughed in. Before har- 

 rowing, it was treated with a few cart loads, 

 say about 150 bushels, good street dirt, ap- 

 plied lime fashion from the cart, by scattering 

 with tlie shovel — then harrowed. The quan- 

 tity of manure in all was not more than would 

 have been used on similar soil m same condi- 

 tion for potatoes. The labour np to sowing 

 was two ploughings, two harrowings, and one 

 rolling, the last operation deemed indispensa- 

 ble in such soil, and to render the drilling 

 more perfect. 



Half an acre was intended for mangel 

 wurtzel — half an acre for sugar beet — half 

 an acre for field carrots, and a quarter of an 

 acre for sugar parsnep; but the seed for 

 mangel wurtzel falling short, and there being 

 an abundance of beet seed on hand, the latter 

 was increased to more than half an acre, 

 while the former stood less by as much as the 

 other was increased. 



Tlie drill used when working for beet and 

 mangel wurtzel was provided with three 

 teeth, set two feet six inches apart, cutting 

 three drills of two and ahalf feet apart atone 

 operation. For carrot and parsnep four teetli 

 were furnished, set two feet apart, cutting 

 four drills, two feet asunder at one operation. 

 Seed sown continuously in tlie drill by hand, 

 in quantity for all about three times as much 

 as plants would be required. All was sown 

 betwixt the 16th and 18th of April. When 

 well up and properly developed, the beet and 

 mangel wurtzel were thinned to six or seven 

 inches apart, the carrots to three or four, and 

 the parsneps to four or five inches apart. 



The hoeing was performed by a cultivator 

 set with duck feet or scalpers; it might be 

 dragged by a stout man, but in the present 

 case a light short-tread horse was used, led 

 by a careful man, while a thorough hand held 

 or conducted the scalper. The hoMer, or 

 ploughman, should be of quick eye and steady 

 hand'^ to be prepared for the slightest devia- 



tion of the horse which might bring the out- 

 line scalpers next the drill, to whicli the in- 

 clination tended, upon the plants, which would 

 prove as fatal to them as to the weeds — the 

 scalpers making clean work of all that come 

 in their way. By this method of hoeing, and 

 of keeping the ground clean and loose, much 

 labour and time were saved, for in two hours 

 as much might be done in this way, as would 

 take a good hand to perlbrm in a week, and 

 then it would be better done by the scalper, 

 than by hand hoeing. An hour or two by the 

 scalper at proper and convenient periods, with 

 now and then a ready hand weeding when 

 coarse weeds were observable among the 

 plants, were all tlie time and labour bestowed 

 at this important stage of culture. Taking 

 the whole labour from the beginning to the 

 gathering of tiie roots included, it would not 

 be greater than that which is usually bestowed 

 on a well worked patch of corn ; nor can the 

 manure used, be estimated, as to quantity and 

 value, to be greater than would be required 

 for potatoes cultivated in the common and 

 usual way on a patch of ground in similar 

 condition. 



Su^ar boot, less than three-fourths of an acre, hav 

 in the patch ten large old apple trees, produced 

 bushels clean and close topped roots ; a bushel 

 ordinarily filled in manner as the Tons, cwl- qrn. 

 640) weighed C4 lbs. - - - 18 5 2 



Mangel Wurtzel, less than three- 

 eiglithsof an acre, having six ap- 

 ple trees in the patch, 320 busliels, 9 2 3 



Field carrot, half an acre, having 

 nine apple trees in the patch, 260 

 bushels, 7 8 2 



Sugar parsi^ep, one-fourth of an 

 acre, having seven apple trees in 

 the patch, 120 bushels, - - 3 8 2 



Total, 38 5 2 



040 



(as 



/is-. 



24 



In less than two acre.s. — Would not be over 

 one and three-fourths of an acre, deducting 

 space of trees. If allowance be made for 

 trees and their shade, the above result must 

 prove very encouraging to those who intend 

 to turn their attention to the culture of green 

 crops. 



The drill and scalper were constructed at 

 home, by and under the direction of Peter 

 Keiller, gardener to Mr. Gowen, who super- 

 intended the whole process of cultivation, and 

 by whom the principal labour was performed, 

 and this he did while having the care of a 

 large garden and neat green house. This is 

 instanced to show that the time consumed in 

 raising the roots, was not so great as many 

 might be led to imagine, and, to pay a well 

 merited compliment to the skill and industry 

 of Peter Keiffer, to whom the premiums 

 should bo awarded, if the crops be deemed 

 worthy of such distinction. 



