1856, 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



73 



STORING ROOT AND OTHER CROPS 

 FOR WINTER. 



Since the increased culture of root crops, their 

 modes of preservation have become important, as 



Parsnips may be preserved in the manner named 

 for turnips ; but it is only necessary for the purpose 

 of keeping them clean and free from rains, as 

 freezing does not injure this root; indeed, they are 

 not fit for use until they have been frozen. Mar- 



many crops bear higher prices later in the seaaonU ^ gardeners usually leave part of their parsnips 

 than m December, .vhile others if bad y stored, U^ ^j- ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^l^ early spring sales, and those 

 are rendered of comparatively little va ue fheU^^^ j^^^^.^ ^^^^ ^1^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^jl ^^P^^ ^.^ ^^^,^^^^^ 

 strap-leaf red-top, and other kinds of white tui-nips I ^^^^^ ^^^^^^, ^^^^ those dug in the fall. The prop- 

 are among those requiring the greatest care, for it ^^ ^^^ ^^.^ for extracting odors is so great, 

 stored m too larp bulk, without proper ventilation, Lj^^-^ a fishv duck buried in it over night maybe 

 they become pithy m a short time Many methods ^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^.^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ j/^^ 

 are appealed to, but the one which we have round 

 successful, is to place a ridge of turnips on the sur- 

 face of the ground, three feet wide at the base, of 



any required length, and forming a jjoint at the to]) 

 like the letter A. This should be covered with soil 

 dug from the sides, so as to leave a flat fourteen | 

 inches wider than the heap, and surrounding it, thus 

 leaving a ditch around the pile to prevent the ad- 

 mission of moisture to the base on which the turn- 

 ips are placed. The first covering should not be | 

 more than four inches in thickness. On top the 

 heap, at distances not greater than five feet, tufts of 

 straw should be placed, which will leave holes for 

 ventilation, sufl'ering the escaping moisture to pass 

 off during the sweating of the turnips. When the 

 weather becomes more severe, more dirt may be 

 thrown on, until the whole thickness is twelve 

 inches, which will prove entirely sufficient for the 

 severest weather. If the turnips are slightly 

 sweated in this heap before being covered, and are 

 permitted to dry off before covering, they will keep 

 sound until required for use. The end of the heap 

 may be opened, and this should have a southern or 

 south-western exposure. As the turnips ai'e re- 

 moved, the exposed portions should be covered with 

 straw. Carrots, beets, and ruta-bagas, may all be 

 preserved in this way. 



In soils that are very dry and sandy, and tho- 

 roughly under-drained, pits may be dug so as to 

 place the roots below the surface of the ground. 

 They may also be kept in cellars covered with dry 

 sand and properly ventilated. Carrots should be 

 compactly stowed, with a small amount of earth 

 between them. Where roots can be placed under 

 sheds, a covering of dry charcoal dust will be found 

 sufficient for their preservation, although the side 

 of the shed may be open to the weather. 



To preserve apples, they should be placed in 

 heaps, and covered with planks or straw to induce 

 sweating ; this covering should then be removed, 

 and the air suffered to pass freely among them. 

 They will lose eight per cent, of their weight with- 

 out shrinking in size. In about six weeks the sec- 

 ond sweating will occur ; and if the atmosphere 

 should then not be as low as the freezing point, the 

 second drying will prepare them for being kept in 

 safety by any of the ordinary methods. Indeed, if 

 shipped immediately after the first sweating, pro- 

 vided the apples be not bruised, they will keep for 

 a voyage of five weeks, and on the sixth week the 

 sweating will again commence, and if not properly 

 aerated, decay will rapidly follow. The object 

 should be to keep them as near the freezing point 

 as possible, but always above it. Delicately flavor- 

 ed apples should never come in contact, directly, 

 with the soil ; for if it contains much clay, or car- 

 bon, it will abstract the aroma of the apple, and 

 render it comparatively flavorless ; indeed, it will 

 often impart a ground-like smell and taste to fruits. 

 The root crops are not so injured. 



this objectionable flavor. Dry cod-fish is often 

 ameliorated in flavor by such treatment. Indeed, 

 the clothes of those who have died of the plague 

 may be worn by others, without the fear of com- 

 municating disease, after they have been buried in 

 the soil a few hours. — Working- Fanner. 



For the New England Farmer 



ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Transactions for thb Year 1855. 



This Annual is again before the public, in a 

 neatly printed pamphlet of about one hundred and 

 fifty pages, from the press of Messrs. Huse & Co., 

 Newburyport. From a cursory glance at its con- 

 tents, I think it will be found not less interesting 

 than those which have preceded it ; — and I know 

 of no publication that is perused with more instruc- 

 tion. It emanates from the people, and contiiinfl 

 intelligence of a practical character. If the farm- 

 ers of the coun*y had been as mindful of their own 

 interests, as the officers of this society are for them, 

 they would long ago have improved their knowl- 

 edge of their honorable occupation. The truth is, 

 fanners are slov/ to engage in new things. Their 

 fathers have gone along through the world toler- 

 ably well, and they think they can get through by 

 following in the same tracks — notwithstanding it 

 may go round the swamp, and not aa-oss it. 

 Farmers are not fond of railroad speed and light- 

 ning conductors — they hold that the sure way is 

 the safest in the end. They may be right in this — 

 but such is not the order of the day in other 

 things ; — and one may as well be out of the woi-ld 

 as out of the fashion. 



Great credit is due to the secretary, for looking 

 up, preparing and putting forth such papers, and 

 only such as will be found worth reading. What 

 astonishes most is, that notwithstanding so much 

 has been said and written on the culture of the soil, 

 there is always something new to come. Essex is 

 not a stock-growing county, and cannot be made 

 such, any way you can fix it. We have no large 

 herds of Devons, or Jerseys, or Ayshires, or Dur- 

 hams, here, or interested editors to pufl' them. A 

 few independent gentlemen keep a few fancy ani- 

 mals for their own use, but the mass of the animals, 

 like their owners, are of the homespun order. 

 Nevertheless we have seen as good butter in Essex, 

 as any where else, notwithstanding it takes two 

 gallons or more of milk to produce a pound. 



Essex. 



^ Oats take from an acre of land, ninety-six 

 pounds of silica, or sand, twenty-two of phosphoric 

 acid, six of sulphuric acid, twelve of lime, nine of 

 magnesia, thirty-six of potash, four of soda, and six 

 of common salt. 



