7S4 



F A R M J: II S ' REGISTER. 



[No. 12 



fu!. In harvesting a crop of turnips, that plan is ' 

 best which admits of the least handling, the ope- 

 rator taking hold of them with the lel'i hand and 

 wiih a strong knile in the other, trim o(t' the 

 fibrous roots, and top them while yet in his liand, 

 throwing them inio ihe furrow, placiuii throe or 

 J'oiir rows together, lor the greater convenience of 

 lo;idiiig. It is deemed advisable to top and tail no 

 more than can be secured the same day, choosing 

 dry windy weather lor Ihe business. To keep 

 them through the winter, the plan adopted on this 

 farm is the same as the one practiced by the 

 New Hampshire farmer, and is the very best that 

 can possibly be devised. 



In leeding turnips, my space will only admit ol 

 my statiair generall}' that all animals except 

 calves preler them in ihcir whole state. As a mat- 

 ter of precaution, the small ones ought to be re- 

 served lor the hogs, or cut up lor the calves and 

 yearlings, excepting there is kept on the farm an 

 implement for (iislodging potatoes or turnips from 

 the throats of animals. It is labor misapplied, to 

 cut or mangle roots in any form. What a busi- 

 ness it would be to pass through a vegetable cut- 

 ter the daily allowance of a thousand sheep and 

 fifty bullocks ! Animals eat them as we do ap- 

 ples, bite off bit by bit, with exquisite relish. What, 

 not slice them a little for the poor little sheep? 

 No! Positively injurious to do so. Neither lor the 

 hogs, no matter the size, the larger the better. 

 Twenty hogs are generally wintered on this farm 

 exclusively on this root, with a daily allowance, as 

 near as can be guessed, of 10 lbs. each, increasing 

 to 12 as spring advances. No corn or grain of 

 any description is given. 



The preceedinff remarks are hastily thrown to- 

 gether lor the benefit ol' those whom they may 

 inieresf, but more particularly for the perusal of 

 Virgitua farmers, and (or the au'hor of the com- 

 munication which has drawn them out. 



In conclusion, a brief statement is given of the 



PN'penses incurred by the writer the present spa- 



eon, in cnhivutinj three acres of Swede lundps, 



and presuming 2100 bushels to be the produce, a 



comparative staienient may ihen be found. 



Dr. 



Interest on land, $100 per acre - $18 00 



Twice ploughing three acres - 6 00 



Harrowing do. - - 1 00 



Seed 2 00 



Ridging, two furrows thrown to- 

 gether, the tops of ridges three 

 (eet apart, one day - " - - I 00 



Drilling the seed, and rollinfj with a 

 light roller takin<i two rows, one 

 day --■-.- 1 00 



When the plants have six leaves, 

 ploughed from the ridge a light 

 furrow each side, going as near 

 as possible with a one horse 

 plough, one day - - - 1 00 



Setting out the |ilants to 10 and 12 

 inches apart ; this operation must 

 not be delayed five days - - 5 00 



Hoeing tops of the ridges effectually 

 at the same time, then return the 

 fiirrow each side carefully; and 

 presuming the work well done, 

 there will be no weed alive - 1 00 



Brought over $36 00 



In three weeks, governed by the 

 condition of the land, run the cul- 

 tivators one bout through the in- 

 tervals ----- 50 



Then with the hand hoe, go over 

 again, cutting out here and there 

 weeds that have escaped former 

 hoeings ----- 50 



In a few days plough out Ihe mid- 

 dles, which will close the account 

 for cultivation, one day - - 1 OO 



If any more work is requisite, pass 

 the cultivator through the inter- 

 vals. The harvesting of a crop 

 of 2100 bushels, would occupy 4 

 men and 2 teams 3 days, say $1 

 each, board and wages - - 12 00 



Cr. 850 00 



2100 bushels turnips al 10 cents, 



all they are worth lor feeding $210 



Profit 160 00 



$210 00 



Cost of production in New Hampshire, $128, 

 in New Jersey, $50, difference $78. 



Referring to my farm journal, for a series ol 

 years the whole cost of production has never ex- 

 ceeded four and a half cents per bushel, 



William Bowker. 



Carry over $36 00 



" JOTTIKGS down" in THE SWAMPS. 



(Continued from page 703.) 

 No. 4. 



The wild sicamp lands, and the lake. 



Somerset Place, N. C, Nov. 23. 



The great swamp of North Carolina, which fills 

 nearly all the space between Albemarle sound and 

 Pamlico river, was at first called the " Little 

 Dismal," in contra-distinction to the "Great Dis- 

 mal," in Virginia and the adjacent part of this state; 

 and this misnomer of the lormer is still continued, 

 though it has been long known that it is much the 

 greater of the two. Four lakes are in the interior, 

 of which Pungo and Alligator lakes are nmch 

 smaller than Scuppernong, (which is 8 miles 

 long and 5 miles wide,) and Mattamuskeet 

 much larger, the latter being fi^om 30 to 40 miles 

 in circumference. The courses of all the streams, 

 some flowing out of all these lakes, and the various 

 head branches of the great swamp rivers Alliga- 

 tor and Pungo, all serve to show that the greater 

 interior space of the swamp region is much higher 

 than its borders, and that its surface descends on 

 every side. Lake Mattamuskeet lies nearest the 

 sound, and was most accessible. Much of the 

 swamp land on its margin has long been drained 

 and cultivated, but in a very imperfect manner. 

 With this and a i'ew other exceptions, nearly the 

 whole of this great region still remains in its natu- 

 ral state, and very little of it has been explored, so 

 as to be well known, even by bear hunters, and 

 much less by any other persons. 



Pungo Lake lies within two miles of this, and 



