83 



It will be seen that only for four out of the ten premiums 

 has there been any competitors. 



Committee — William R. Putnam, William B. Morgan, James 

 P. King. 



STATEMENT OF BENJAIVUN P. WARE. 



STATEMENT CONCERNING A CROP OF MANGOLD WURTZELS RAISED BY 

 BENJAMIN P. WARE OP MAKBLEHEAD, NOV., 1872. 



In the fall of 1870, the half acre of land, upon which this 

 crop grew, was broken up, having been in grass for six years, 

 and in 1871, four cords of compost manure was applied and 

 potatoes planted. This land was formerly very wet, having 

 since been drained by a box drain running through it, two feet 

 below the surface, it has become fit for cultivation. The soil 

 is dark and heavy, resting upon a hard, gravelly sub-soil. A 

 compost heap was made up upon the land last fall by first a 

 layer of peat muck, one foot deep, then sea-kelp green from the 

 beach, same depth, then a layer of muck and another of kelp. 

 In the spring, as soon as the frost would permit, the whole was 

 forked over three times, at intervals of a week or ten days, by 

 which it was completely mixed and pulverized. This, to the 

 amount of six cords, was spread on and plowed in eight inches 

 deep, and harrowed. After a week it was plowed again the 

 same depth, which brought the manure to the surface, then the 

 pulverizing harrow was used until the manure was very thor- 

 oughly commingled with the soil ; after which, the surface was 

 dragged smooth, making as perfect a seed bed as could be 

 desired. 



On the 12th of May, two pounds of seed, of the Norbiton 

 variety, were sown in drills, two feet apart. Just before the 

 seed came up, salt was spread broadcast on two-thirds of the 

 piece, at the rate of twenty-five bushels per acre. The crop 

 was hoed and weeded three times, and at the second weeding 

 the plants were thinned as nearly as possible ten inches apart. 

 The Mangolds were pulled, topped and piled up in the field and 

 covered with the tops to protect them from frost, on the 29th 

 of October ; after remaining ten days were stored in the cellar. 



