96 [Senate 



Beets and Parsnips. 



In compliance with the rules of the Institute, making it oblioatory 

 en all persons receiving premiums ior superior productions of agri- 

 culture, to specify the mode of raising the same, the cost and other- 

 wise, I beg leave to stale some of the chief particulars to be observed 

 in raising sut,h beets and parsnips, for which the judges at the late 

 Fair have awarded me a premium for each; and permit me to refer 

 you to my last year's report for my mode of raising celery, the 

 superior quality sent to the Fair this season having also been awarded 

 a premium. 



In selecting lands best adapted for cultivating beets and parsnips 

 for the table, regard should be had to the situation, if possible. The 

 lanrls should be fully open to the south, the ground should be of a 

 lio-ht moist nature, with deep soil mixed with clay, such as will keep 

 open and light during our hot dry weather; the land should be turned 

 up in the fall, some ten or twelve inches deep; early in April spread 

 thereon rotten barn-yard manure, in. value about twenty-five cents to 

 each square perch or rod, turn this manure under some eight or nine 

 inches deep, and rake the top smooth; draw the drill from twelve to 

 fourteen inches apa-t. Thus far the preparation is alike for both 

 oeets ?nrl parsnips. For beets open the drill from one-half to two 

 inches deep, and for parsnips net to exceed three-fourths of an inch 

 deep, drop the seed for each in the drill some one or two inches apart, 

 carefully rake over the seed and soil, and when the plants are up 

 strong, then thin them to the distance of six or eight inches from 

 each other in the row^s, and during their future growth great care 

 should be observed to keep the ground free from weeds, and well 

 hoed. If the season is favorable the yield per square rod or perch 

 will be about as follows: beets about three and a half bushels, average 

 price fifty cents, $1 .75; expense seed and manual labor, thirty-five 

 cents; manure, twenty-five cents; rent of land, twenty cents; market 

 expense for man for selling, about tw^enty cents, $1.00; neat gain 

 seventy-five cents per square rod. If the season is favorable the 

 profit would be about seventy-five cents per rod, or $30 for each quar- 

 ter acre ; quantity of seed to each square perch or pole, one ounce, 

 or in measure one-fourth of a pint; parsnips about the same, except 

 a little more expense in the attention for securing them in the fall, 

 they not being quite as ready sale as the beets. 



JOSEPH CLOWES. 



HarsimuSy Kew-Jersey^ JVovember 27^A, 1843. 



^n Aged Horse. 



Mr. O. Mauran, of New-York city, entered for exhibition at the 

 late Fair, a horse forty-one years old ; his account of which is given 

 below : 



"This horse, 'Charles,' I exhibit is the greatest curiosity in this 

 country. He was raised at Horse Neck, Conn., in 1802, by a Mr. 

 Brundage, and brought to this city in 1810, by Mr. J. Sackett, and 



