32 



full development. Sufficient thinning is a distinct factor in early 

 development. Beets should be thinned to 6 inches and carrots to 3. 

 The thinnings from the early beets can usually be sold as beet greens, 

 at from 25 to 50 cents per bushel, and the amount received for them 

 will ordinarily pay for the thinning and weeding. With carrots and 

 turnips there is no such oj^portunity to get an early income before 

 the roots are ready for market, although young turnips make splendid 

 greens. 



A fertile soil is essential to the best success with any of these 

 crops, and without it quick growth and early maturity cannot be 

 expected. In addition to a liberal application of stable manure, 

 from 10 to 15 cords (20 to 30 tons), applied the fall previous to 

 planting and plowed in, there should be applied 1,000 pounds of 

 good quality lime and 1,000 pounds of high-grade commercial fer- 

 tilizer, analyzing 3 per cent nitrogen, 8 per cent phosphoric acid and 

 10 per cent potash. This lime and fertilizer should be applied in 

 the early spring. It is the best plan to apply the lime immediately 

 after plowing, and deep harrow it, and put the fertilizer on after 

 the disking, and work it in with the smoothing harrow. 



The seed for these crops is sown with a seed drill, and put about 

 one-fourth inch under the surface. It requires from 5 to 8 pounds of 

 beet seed per acre, from 2 to 3 pounds of carrot seed and about 2 

 pounds of turnip seed. The rows of beets and carrots should be 

 about 14 inches apart. The use of high quality seed is very essential 

 to the largest returns, and it is wise to select the variety and strain 

 of seed with considerable care. 



The cultivation of these crops, if planted as above suggested, must 

 consist almost entirely of scuffle or wheel hoeing and hand weeding. 

 About three hoeings.and one weeding, besides that done at the time 

 of thinning, should properly take care of the crops. 



The harvesting of beets usually begins by June 15, and a succes- 

 sion is desired throughout the season. In some markets bunched 

 beets may be found in early winter, but as a rule the beets for winter 

 use are sold by the bushel. To provide a succession of beets for 

 bunching throughout the summer season more than one early planting 

 is required. It is the custom to plant a very quick-growing variety 

 for the first early, and Crosby's Egyptian is the standard variety for 

 this planting. Following this planting by about two weeks, a little 

 slower gTOwing, rounder beet, is most popular. One of the leading 

 varieties of this class is Detroit Dark Red. Some growers make still 

 a third planting to supply bunched beefs for their trade, and this 

 occurs about May 15. The practice varies with the grower to a large 

 degree. 



For the Boston and Worcester markets beets are bunched four in 

 a bunch and are sold by the dozen. The Providence market requires 

 five in a bunch. This is varied somewhat according to the size of 



