1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



lengthwise, by which they were considerably flat- 

 tened. Having no drill-barrow, I adopteii the fol- 

 lowing expedient lor the purpose of distribnlinij 

 the seed equally. Pins were driven into the wheel 

 of" a common wheel-barrow, pointin<x towards the 

 centre, at such a distance a[)ari, that when the 

 wheel-barrow was rolled lengthwise on the ridges, 

 small holes were made upon them by the pins 

 seven inches and a half apart. Into each one ol 

 these holes a single seed ([ should rai her s.-iy cap- 

 sule*) was dropped by the hand, and covered with 

 fine earth to the depih of nearly an inch. This 

 was done about the middle oi' April. Previous to 

 sowing the seed they were put into warm watpr, 

 and soaked lor twenty-fjur hours. A small quan- 

 tity of ashes was then intimately mixed with them, 

 for the purpose of separating the seeds. The sea- 

 son being uncommonly dry, they germinated slow- 

 ly, and came up badly. So unpromising indeed 

 ibr some weeks was the appearance of the beets, 

 that one time I had thoushts of ploughing up the 

 iot, with a viewof cultivating it in some other crop. 



When the beets were large enoush to be dis- 

 tinctly seen, the intervals between the rows were 

 ploughed with a shovel-plough drawn by one 

 horse ; the hoes followed, care being taken to pull 

 up with the hand every weed and spire of grass 

 near to, and around the beets. In this manner 

 they were weeded, at proper intervals, three times ; 

 though I do not know that the third weeding was 

 necessary. On the second day of November the 

 beets were taken up. This was done by running 

 a single furrow of the plough on each side of everv 

 row of the heels, and then pulling them up with 

 the hand. The product was at least six hundred 

 bushds; nearly eleven ox-cart loads of fifiy-six 

 bushels each. 



I have said that the lot contained 29.123 square 

 feet. There are on an acre of land 4B,5tJ0 square 

 leet. Consequently the lot produced at the rate 

 of eight hundred and ninety-seven bushels per 

 acre. Nothing has been guessed at; the beets 

 were measured, f and the lot carefully surveyed. 

 The product would have been greater, if die beets 

 had stood well. In vatious parts of every row 

 there were spaces of eiijht or ten feet wiih not 

 more than fliur or five beets. In addition to this 

 disadvantageous circumstance, a strip of flat land 

 on one side of the lot was made much too wet Ibr 

 the beets, by repeated rains in the latter part of 

 July, and ihrouijhout the month of August. On 

 this strip the beets were very small, and adilcd but 

 little to the product of the lot. 



Chaptal, the eminent chymist, and practical ag- 

 riculturist, after an experience of many years in 

 the culture of the br'et, thus expressed his opinion 

 of it: •'! believe this plant may be cultivated as 

 food for cattle, more advantageously than any 

 other." J I can sa}' from expeiience that cows led 

 on the suErar beet yield rich and well tasted milk. 

 A peck of the beets given in the morning, and as 

 much at night, with other ordinary coarse food, is 

 a good allowance for one cow. Six cows then will 

 consume tliree bushels in one day, or six hundred 

 bushels in 200 days (6 months and 20 days.) 



* One capsule contains generally moie tliati one 

 seed. 



t The body of the cart even fall contained 56 bush- 

 els. The loads were heaped. 



I Chemistry applied to Agriculture, page l.?0. 



How much Indian corn per day will make the 

 milk of a cow as valuable, as will two pecks of 

 beets, due allowance being made lor the quality 

 and quantity of milk? I am confident that no in- 

 justice will be done to the corn, by suf)piising that 

 half a gallon given in the morning, and as much 

 at niirht, with other ordinary coarse food, will 

 make her milk equally valutible. Six cows then 

 will consume six gallons of Indian corn in one 

 day, or 1200 gallons in 200 days. To produce 

 1200 gallons, or thirty barrels of corn, at least 

 three acres ol' land, as well manured as that culti- 

 vated in beefs, will be required. According to this 

 Cidculation, the product of about tivoihirds of an 

 acre in heels will go as far in fiieding milch cows, 

 and yield as great a profit, as the product of three 

 acres in Indian corn. How great the superiority 

 on the side of the beets, and what a saving oi' ma- 

 nure, of la)t(l, and of labor ! 



Almost every fiarmer in this part of Virginia 

 must have felt the want of some root crop for his 

 live stock, during the winter months and eaily in 

 the spring. I know of none so well adapted to 

 our climate as the beet. It is less injured by the 

 long droughts of summer than any root that I 

 know, and produces a larger crop. The late able 

 conductor of the ' Cultivator,' I think, doubted the 

 propriety of cultivating this crop in the southern 

 states ; believincr the country " north of 42" to be 

 the favorite region of the beet. The experiment, 

 which is the subject of this communication, shows, 

 that on soils adapted to the beet, and well manured, 

 even here about the latitude of 38, as much as 

 eiiiht hundred and ninety-feven bushels per acre, 

 in seasons as favorable as the last, may be reason- 

 ably expected ; or, supposing the beets to weigh 

 on an average 50 lbs. per bushel, rather more than 

 twenty tons ; an amount of product much more 

 than sufficient to compensate the farmer for the 

 labor and attention bestowed on it. But let it not 

 t)e forgotten, that nood preparation and carefiil 

 culture are absolutely necessary to success, " The 

 produce of a field which is well taken care of," 

 (says Chaptal,) " is at least double that of one 

 which is neirlected."* W. Hoi.laday. 



Spottsijloania, 2Sth JVov., 1839. 



ON UNDER-DRAINTNG. 



To tlie Cliairman of tlic Nortli Anna Agricultural Association. 



I have thought proper to brins the subject of 

 under-drains to the notice of this .society, Jiaving 

 myself experienced some loss of labor from the 

 want of theiTi, as well as profit from their use. 



it is well known to you, sir, and to all present, 

 that wet sobbed land, while in that condition, is 

 irenerally the most unprofitable portion of the soil 

 to its owner. If he attempts to derive a profit 

 from it by grazin<r, its product, beinir very rough 

 and coarse, is rejected by every species of stock, 

 so lonir fis thev can iret a tolerable supply of that 

 which is more lender and succulent. Only when 

 pinched by hunger will they resort to the product 

 of such land. If he attempts a profit by culture 

 without draining it, his effort will be in vain. 

 ! Shotdd he leave his drains open, they (being 



i . ^ — - 



i * Chemistry applied to Agriculture, page 321. 



