816 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



AfRIL li, 1838 



although their tnilk will increase when they are lay aside their prejmlices anrl caviU, and to ac- 

 tiirned to [lastiire, it never will be so abuiulant as quaint theniselves imuiediatrly with the process of 

 it woidd have been had the cows been supplied cultivation necessary. Then if it should prove 

 with suitable food before they were turned out. successful, they will be prepared to enter upon it, 

 Now an abundant supply of roots will enable the] without having the mortification of seeing mere 



speculators take all the profits of a business which 



farmer to consume all his ordinary fodder without 

 injuring his cattle in growth or flesh, to keep them 

 in good health and to prevent his milch cows from 

 being partially dried before they are turned to 

 pasture. 



In these unkindly season it is no small recommen- 

 dation to say truly of a crop, that it is a sure one. 

 So far as the seasons are concerned, this may be 

 said with resfiect to Mangel Wurtzel. ]f ihelaiid 

 is suitable and well manured, and the plants prop- 

 erly cultivated after they are up, the coldness of sea- 

 sons like the past, will not injure their growth at 

 all, so far as [ can judge. They are not liable to 

 be cut off in the spring like corn, nor to be injur- 

 ed in the fall like both corn and potatoes. Late 

 in the season I have left tlieiii out during frosts so 

 severe that they could not be taken out of the 

 ground without breaking them, and yet they have 

 suffered no injury. The only uncertainty which 

 merits such an appellation, is in consequence of 

 the seed failing. But this can be remedied by pro- 

 curing plants in the neighborhood, if they can he 

 obtained, and if not even from a considerable dis- 

 tance. When the seeil comes up well, there al- 

 ' ways will be a large quantity of plants which must 

 he thinne<l out early, or the crop will suffer. Tliese 

 «et out carefully in wet weather, will be as certain 

 to live as cabbage or Swedish turnip plants. But 

 'if plants sufficient to occupy the ground cannot be 

 procured, then as a Becoud resort, at the suitable 

 :tiine, sow the vacancies with Swedish turnips. 

 The ()reparation of land for Mangel Wurtzels will 

 ^precisely suit the Swedish turnips ; and these, 

 ithougb not«o produclive^H.H the former, will prove 

 ;a valuable sul>stitute. 



I fan speak jiositivelyoftlie advantage o«f this 



course, for i have tried it rep'eatedly. The last 



fseason 1 prepared one quarter'nf an acre of land 



■with great cai-e, for Mangel Wurtzel. Owing to 



the di-ought, I suppose, r.oi iJicVe than fifty 



came up. From about a mile distant I procured 

 plants, sufficient to r-aise 80 bushels. At the be- 

 ginning of July I sowed Swedish turnips in the va- 

 cancies, and harvested about 80 bushels of these 

 also. Not more than one quarter part of the land 

 was occupied with the Mangel Wurtzels. And in 

 addition to these, the thinnings, with the wash 

 from the house, and the stale rnilkfrom two cows, 

 furnished food sufficient to keep five swine in very 

 thriving conditioji, from the time of the first thin- 

 nings until early iji the fall ^^ one of them gaine<l 

 as much as fifty pounds on this keep. 



I have already taxed your patience too much, or, 

 as additional advantages to be derived, might be 

 mentioned, the value of this crop as a thorough 

 cleansing and enriching one, as one which returns 

 to the soil more than any other-, as a valuable cr-op 

 in rotation, and also as nrore than any other, illus- 

 trating the superior advantages resulting fi'orti 

 high cOltivation. 



It would seem that the advantages to be deriv- 

 ed, might be sufficient to induce the universal cul- 

 tivation of Mangel Wurtzel by farmers, for their 

 own use. But it s^ems our legislature has given its 

 recommendation to the project of raising beets for 

 the purpose of manufacturing sugar. This will be 

 an additional imUicement to this part of hnsband- 



naturally belongs to the cidtivators of the soil. 



The soil most suitable for the production o/ the 

 Mangel Wurtzel, or any other variety of beet, is a 

 loam, rather dry than otherwise, the richer the bet- 

 ter. A sandy, or gr-avelly soil will do, if it be made 

 rich and is well stirred frequently. But I suppose 

 on a wet, clayey, or a baking soil, they would fail 

 altogether. I believe it is generally recotrimend- 

 ed to raise them on level ground, the same as 

 the common beets are usually raised in gardens. 

 When the soil is vei-y ileop and rich, perhaps this 

 will be the most economical way. 1 have practis- 

 ed ridging and prefer it for two reasons : .1st, you 

 get twice the depth of soil beneath the plants, and 

 2d, the manui-e may thus be brought itito the im- 

 mediate vicinity of the plants. Now these objects 

 are important, when the soil is both thin and poor, as 

 is the case with too much of our land. I am aware 

 that the notion is almost universally prevalent, that 

 \{ roots are allowed to come in contact with unrot- 

 ted manure, they will become scabby and be injured 

 This I believe is a groundless prejudice, something 

 like cows being spoiled by being kept frit, or itr 

 consequence of being allowed to eat apples, &c. 

 1 have for more than ten years, seen roots of all 

 kinds manur-ed with unfermented mamrre, but 1 

 have never discovered that they were injirr-ed in 

 the slightest degree, but on the contrary the crop 

 has always been better as mor-e nranure was ap- 

 plied. 



There are two ways of ridging, both of which I 

 have found to succeed. 1st, let the land be plough' 

 ed and harrowed, and therr with a light plough 

 dr-aw firrrows, 28 or 30 inches asunder. Into 

 these firrrows pirt the manure. Thetrplough on 

 each side towar-ds this frrrrow, aird thus forrrr a 

 ridge over the manure. These rirlges may be flat- 

 tened by passing a light roller over them lengthwise 

 or cutting down the top with a hoe, leaving the 



horse plough. Let them fie ihiis nntrl the weeds 

 have beconre smothered, and then plough fhem up 

 again. This operation will eftectrtally destroy 

 all the weeds. The Swedish tirrnip (which is neaf 

 the same as the ruta baga) is cultivated in much 

 the same manner as the Mangel Wurtzel, only 

 they rnitst be sown later — at the close of June or 

 beginning of July. I have found that if they are 

 sown earlier, they ar-e liable at the close of the season 

 to be taken by a small fly, or louse, which cairses 

 them to decay at the top, and their decay will con- 

 timre after they are put into the cellar or pit. They 

 may also he raised on a soil which is too light and 

 sairdy for the Mangel Wirrtzel ; birt like the Mair- 

 gel Wurtzel, will do nruch the best ort very rich 

 soils. 



I have prolonged this communication much be- 

 yond what I fir-st intended, but such as it is, I 

 leave it entirely at your disposal. 



And |-ernain with much esteem, 



Respeclfully your-s, 



JOHN KEELY. 

 Hon. J. H DuNCA.N. 



ridge about 10 or 12 inches wrde. This way I 

 prefer, when I have but little marurr-e and wish to 

 make the most of it. The other I suppose to leave 

 the ianil in the best state for a successful crop. It 

 is the following: Spr-ead the mamri-e upon the 

 land and ploirgh it in as irsiral ; harTow it well to 

 pulveri/.e the soil and mix the mamrre ; then form 

 theridgos by ploughing two furrows towar-ds each 

 other-, anil flatten them as befor-e. The best meth- 

 od of opening the gt-ound for the seed is by nreans 

 of a broad wheel or shafts like a wheelbarrow, 

 with a triangular- rim roitnd the circumfer-ence. 

 This iiassed along the ridge, will open a groove of 

 even depth, into which the seed may be dropped 

 two or three inches apar-t. The seed may be sown 

 from the beginning of May itntil the close of June. 

 Such seasons as the last, the middle of May is 

 quite late enough. Soon after the plants are up, 

 they will r-ecprire to be weeded and thinned, leav- 

 ing the.-Tr two or tbi-ee iirches asunder. They may 

 be'^thirrnod afterwat-ds, as they may be w.irited fbr 

 transplanting, feeding swine, &c., until they are 

 about one footapart in the row. If the soil is good 

 and they do well, this will be foirnd to be qirite 

 near enorrgh. The top of the ridges will require 

 to be hoed thi-ue or foirr times, the oftener the bet- 

 but the sides may be cleared by turning them 



REPORT AND RESOLVES 



Providing for a Board of Agriculture in MassachuscUs 

 The Comrtrittee have had the order under consid 

 eration, but the late period of the session, and thi 

 pres-sut-e of other business, have not allowed then 

 to give it that rnatui-e deliberation, which its im 

 portance demands. They consider the organiza 

 tionofa Boar-d of Agriculture a matter of vei- 

 great consequence, not only to that jrortion of ou 

 fellow citizens who ar-e engaged in the cultivatiot 

 of the soil, but to all classes of the community, ti 

 every branch of industr-y, and to the best interest 

 of the Comtjionwealth. 



Agrii ulture employs an incompai-ably large 

 amount of capital, and a lar-ger number of persorrs 

 than any other pursuit. It is more intimately con 

 nected with the wealth, pr-osperity and happines 

 of the people. The vicissitudes of the times, am 

 the derangement of trade, have almost coirvince 

 us that it is the only secure and permanent business 

 it is cer-tain,that.it is the most extensive, the nios 

 important, and the most indispensable. The ai 

 and the light of heaven are common blessings ; the 

 are not subjects of human legislation ; after then- 

 a-riculture most intimately concerns men, and en 

 tera most largely into all the affiiirs of life. It is 

 perhaps, because it is socomnron, so tiecessai-y an 

 so important, that it has r-eceived so little attentio 

 fr-om those to whonr ar-e intrusted the best interesi 

 of the community. Banks, rail-roads, nianufac 

 tures, and commerce, engi-oss so much attentiot 

 that but little care, and that reluctantly, is bestowe 

 on the humbler and mor-e modest art which mu: 

 sustain them all. A fair comparison will show th 

 paramount importance ofagricrjltur-e, and itsstabi 

 ity anrl permanence. The other employtrien 

 which busy men have their stated ebb and flow 

 sirbject indeed to many sever-e storms, and mati 

 ruinous convulsions ; agricultur-e rolls down i 

 rich pr-odrtcts on smoothly flowing currents, who.' 

 channels need only to be deepened aird better d 



The friends of agricultut-e kirow no party, no 1 

 cal or transient inter-ests ; its pr-oducts can nev 

 become unfashionable, aird the supply will not 1 

 "reater thair the dematrd ; there is no rivalry at 

 no fear of competition ; it is emphatically the gre> 

 as well as the best interests of the people. TI 

 comnrittee are happy to find that it is begrnnriig 

 receive a portion of the attention which it so rich 

 deserves. We quote a report * lately submitted 

 Congress by the comnrittee on agricultui-e. " It ii 

 sti-arTge and singular fact, that whilst millrorrs up 



arrd it certatnly becomes farmers generally to | iirto the hollows between the ridges, with a single 



• Submitted by Hon. Mr Randolph of Now Jersey 



