232 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



and beets otiijjht to be drilled." He then asserts, 

 that, "any thing less than ihree-leot will not an- 

 swer, and, even at that, it is almost impossible to 

 give them the requisite tillatre, if the preparation 

 is good." I will not affirm that mine has ever 

 been what he would call "good."' But lean 

 truly say, that in such as it has been, I have 

 never found any thing like an impossibility in 

 giving them what I deemed requisite tillage with 

 a proper coulter, a very small |)lough and the 

 hand-hoe, even in two-leet drills, " if straight," 

 as ihey may very easily be made by any one who 

 chooses ti) take the trouble. Be it remembered, 

 that I confine my remarks to latitude 37 or SS'^. 

 And be it also remembered, that the use of the 

 plough in the culture of the root-crops, is every 

 where, I believe, discotitinucd before the leaves of 

 the plants nearly reach their lull growth. 



From the whole context of the communication 

 which lias elicited my remarks, I conclude that 

 your correspondent thinks we should be regulat- 

 ed" in the distances at which we drill our root 

 crops, by the length and size of their leaves. Ad- 

 mit I ins to be true, and 1 would ask wliy he re- 

 commends the same distance for heels ar, lor rula 

 baga, since the leaves of the Ibrmer are little, if 

 any, more than half the size of the latter 7 Surely 

 this must be an oversight. 



V/hen I began this letter, I intended nothing 

 more than to explain away what appeared to me 

 a misconstruction, (although not a wilful one,) 

 of certain remarks of mine in a former com- 

 munication. But on perusing what I have writ- 

 ten, I perceive that 1 have been led insensibly into 

 several comments on your correspondent's opi- 

 nions relative to the general management of root- 

 crops, but especially of ruta baiia and beets. 

 Should these comments appear to him to be freer 

 than the occasion called (or, I assure him that 

 they proceeded from no other motive than the one 

 by which he himself appears to be guided — to 

 vvit, the good of our cnuimon cause. Although 

 we difi'er in regard to the matters which I have 

 specified, 1 aijree with him perfectly as to the 

 great importance of root-ciops, and the necessity 

 of much more attention than is usually paid to 

 the seasons or times, together with the proper 

 soils and preparation for sowing or drilling all the 

 di(!erent kinds usually relied upon for stock. Per- 

 mit me here to add a it;w words relative to the 

 diV'Crsity ofopinions and practice which prevail on 

 these subjects. It is ascribable, in part, to the dif- 

 ferences in soil, climate and fertility of the lands 

 wherein our root-crops are culiivaled. But chiefly 

 to the want of curiosity, atlded to the obstinacy of 

 those who unilertake to prescribe in these matters, 

 and who will insist upon the practice of their own 

 particular locality being the best for all. A mo- 

 meiil's reflection would prove this to be utterly 

 ab&hrd. But the sireat misfortune is, that I'ur 

 ev^ry one of our bretliren who will take the trou- 

 ble 'lo reflect and inquire, there are probably thou- 

 eattds who will never be suilty of any such selt- 

 anhoyance. Hence the slow progress which all 

 muet acknowletlge to be made in every branch of 

 our husbandry. Nothing illustrates this more 

 ctetirly than the perpetual contioversies in regard 

 to root-crops. Yet a very faw comparative trials 

 \H\\\ each particular kind, as to soil, fertility, dis- 

 tances and culture, would suffice, if accurately 

 mivdl', to enable each more certainly to determine 



lor himself, wliich was best in his own situation, 

 instead of pursuing, as we often do, some course 

 which, if not the worst, is very far from being the 

 best. Without such accurate trials, disputes will 

 and must go on the end of time ; Icjr none of us 

 can arrive at any thing like certainty in our prac- 

 tice, merely by argumentations, however inge- 

 nious and protracted. These may serve to amuse 

 and entertain, but can never aflbid useful instruc- 

 tion without minute, intelligible details of practice 

 and its results. 



In conclusion, I beg leave to present you with a 

 brief tabular statement of my own practice in re- 

 gard to root-crops ; not that I presume to ofier it 

 as a rule lor others, but in ihe hope of its doing 

 some good, at least to such farmers and gardeners 

 as have perhaps less experience than myself. I 

 make the statement (or two reasons ; first, be- 

 cause we hear no inquiry more frequently made by 

 beginners in (arming and gardening — nay. often 

 by old f)raciitioners, than about the best distances 

 at which to plant o-- to drill the various |)lants 

 which they cultivate. And secondly, because 

 this very necessary information is not to be found 

 in any one book of husbandry or horticulture that 

 I have ever consulted. Many of them are sufli- 

 cienily lull and explicit in other respects, but all 

 are more or less guilty of omissions in regard to 

 distances. On this subject I now offer what I 

 have culled from books, confirmed by my own ob- 

 servation of the practice of others, and by nume- 

 rous experiments made by myself with moct of 

 the specified roots. 



