ROOT CROPS AND VEGETxVBLES. 193 



Statement of George B. Loritig. 



Mangel Wurzel. — The crop of mangel wurzcl which I enter 

 for premium was raised on one acre and one-eighth of huid. 

 The soil is a heavy clayey loam, has been many years under 

 cultivation, and is a portion of the field which was thorough 

 drained five years ago. For three years after drainage it was 

 devoted to grass crops, having been laid down to grass the year 

 previous to draining. Last year it was manured on the sod, 

 twenty-five loads, or a little more than eight cords, to the acre ; 

 was ploughed with a Michigan plough. May 23d, harrowed, 

 furrowed and planted to corn, with super-phosphate of lime in 

 the hill. Early in November following it was fall-ploughed. 



Early in May of this year it was manured with eight cords 

 of barnyard manure to the acre, ploughed again, and left until 

 May 20th. It was then ploughed again, harrowed and drilled. 

 Seven cords of manure, a compost of barnyard manure with 

 sand and muck, were applied in the drills. 



The seed was soaked thirty-six hours in water poured hot 

 upon it. Tlie tops of the drills were carefully raked. An 

 implement made of plank four inches wide and three feet long, 

 from the bottom of which projected pins two inches long and 

 an inch and a quarter in thickness, and seven inches apart, and 

 on the top of which was fastened a frame handle, made by nail- 

 ing narrow strips of boards, two and one-half feet long, to the 

 ends of the plank, and fastened together at the top by a short 

 strip a foot and a half long, was used for making holes into 

 which the seed was to be dropped. This latter process was also 

 done by hand, and the seed was covered by the hoe. In this 

 way I secured an even crop, and avoided the necessity of thin- 

 ning, which attends the use of a seed sowing machine. Six 

 men (two making the holes, two dropping the seed and two 

 covering,) sowed the piece in one day. The crop was hoed 

 twice, and, late in the season, was once cleared of weeds by 

 hand. The seed was imported, and was a mixture of Long 

 Red and Yellow Globe. The crop was by measurement (sixty 

 pounds to the bushel,) 1,800 bushels. 



The account with the crop stands as follows : — 



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