382 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Jl'NE 6, IS'SS- 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



Boston, Wednesday, June 6, 1838. 



THE WESTBORO' CARROT BED, 



We are niiicli indebted to Agricolai Filius for his 

 reply to llie inquiries made of liim in tlie Farmer of (lie 

 16t!i ult. in relation to the bed of Carrots in VVestboro'. 

 It is a good sample of special pleading; and must at 

 least give pleasure to tlie Querist H. The crop was cer- 

 tainly a fine nnej and the cultivation speaks for itself. 

 We congratulate him on his successful conversion of an 

 old farmer. They are generally liard subjects to deal 

 with. Wesley confessed that he could do nolhinj; willi 

 them. The sapling you can coniuinnly twist at your 

 pleasure ; but as to the old and gnarled oak you can sel- 

 dom bend or split it. There are some of them witK 

 which it is much harder to dial than with granite. You 

 may even charge them with gunpowder ; but the ex- 

 plosion will hardly open a crack wide enough to let the 

 day light in. We have nowadays very high authority 

 for " walkinor jn the footsteps of our predecessors ;" but 

 we think it would be well for every man to inquire, not 

 whether the old road is the most trodden but rather 

 whether it is the shortest and the best; neither to reject 

 a scheme because it is o!d, nor accept it because it is 

 new; and vice versa, neither reject it because it is 

 new, and hold to it because it is old. Cobbett 

 siiys he despises a man " who is contented with his 

 condition," Cobbell was not indeed a very distin- 

 guished saint ; but he ci^rtainly was right in condemn- 

 in" any man, who i» i)ot willing and anxious to im- 

 prove his condition. Parson Adams in Joseph Andrews 

 when he came to a pond in the road stripped himself, 

 canonicals and all, and waded through. He had no 

 sooner got over than he found if he had taken the trou- 

 ble of looking over the fence he might huve seen a good 

 dry plank walk. The best way in this world is to keep 

 our eyes and our ears open. We have great reverence 

 for antiquity ; but with Lord Bacon we reckon that 

 antiquity, which is farthest from the beginning; and 

 gladly avail ourselves of thp light of modern discoveries 

 and improveinenlB 



To the Editor of the N. E. Faruv r: 



llF.yiR SiK— In your paper of the 16lh inst, I find some 

 queries respecting" the bed of Carrots described in my 

 last, which I am glad of the opportunity to answer — I 

 The answer would not ha^e been delayed thus long, 

 but one of the individuals employed in cultivating the 

 fieM in years past, was out of town. 



1 wish to say in the outset, that I am not " IWr Den- 

 ny's Amanuensis." 1 am to be held responsible fir all 

 that I stale as fitcts, and will thank '■ H." or any body 

 pise to make any inquiries on the subject, or any criti- 

 cisms upon the statement*, they may think important in 

 oriler to bring out tlie whole triilli. 1 shall avail myself 

 of tlie li<:st means in my powi^r to a.^cerlain, and Ihen 

 cominuiiicate the fads. 



The hisliuy of the " carrot bed " is briefly this. In 

 1834 It was ill grass. In the spring of 1835, one acre of 

 it was ploughed, and planted with corn. This luring the 

 first year i\fr D. had occupied the farm, he had but little 

 manure, and consequently but little was put upon this 

 fi„lJ_ln,w much, 1 am not able to ascertain. The 

 overseer says " but little." In lH'M'i half an acre more 

 of the grass was ploughed, and manure not exceeding 

 3(i loads (the overseer says 30) was put on the whole 

 1 1-2 acres The hatf acre, last ploughed was then 

 planted with corn, and the acre witli ixptiitoes. In 1837 

 seven loads were put on the half acre, (none on the 

 o'her,) and the wlinle sowed with carrots. This, I be- 

 lieve,' is the '• inholc truth," with reference tb the kind 

 of crop and manure. I am not able to learn that in 

 1835-(i, any extra labor was bestowed upon the field, 

 above that wliicii any good fanner would deem neces- 

 sary to a profitable harvest. 1 think you will he con- 

 vinced, Mr Editor, by these facts, that 1 did not intend 



to " impose upon the printer " or " the public " any 

 " one sided statement " respecting the carrot bed. But 

 there is one other fact whioii must not be left untold. — 

 This notable cairot bed seems about to he more produc- 

 tive ui carrot beds, than it was of <;«rro(s.' Many of our 

 farmeis this year are making arrangements to have a 

 bed of carrots And these farmers know exactly how 

 the bed in question was prepared, and they know the 

 results. They have passed it almost daily, and rarely 

 without fixing the eye upon it as long as they could see 

 it — at first, in their incredulitv, to laugh at the folly, 

 but a last lo admire the results of the experiment; 

 and often stopping to inquire respecting the process of 

 culture. About the time the bed was si'wn, I rode past 

 il with an honest, but incredulous farmer, who has been 

 treading In " the track of his father and his father's^ 

 father," these siity years With a significant shrug of 

 ihesboulderslie said—" Il will do well enough for these 

 men that have money a jilenty, these gentlsmen far- 

 mers, to plant carrots and such things; but we working 

 farmers must he content to r.aise corn and potatoes." 

 The year is past by ; the. carrots are gathered ; and a 

 few weeks ago this same miu said to me (doubtless 

 having forgotten his former remark,) " 1 believe 1 shall 

 try a bed ol carrots on my farm this year ; I reckon they 

 are pretty profitable things to raise if a body only gets 

 used to 'em." He then named a man who understands 

 the business, whom he thought he should employ to help 

 sow them, so that in his old age he might learn lo raise 

 carrots '. However " ambitious " this man is, he is cer- 

 tainly not among the class of " young farmers " whom 

 " H." 15 so anxious to shield against imposition. And 

 I have not heard that he was ever accused of being 

 hasty in trying experiments. He is a cautious old far 

 mcr, who in hic distrut^t of experiments seemed rather 

 in danger of wearing all the grass out of liis father's 

 father's track, he followed it so closely, and to which 

 he seems as inucli attached as he is lo " the old oaken 

 bucket that hangs in his well " He has not been de- 

 ceiv d by any statsment, but has known the whole truth 

 respecting the bed in question, from the first breaking 

 of the soil in 183,^), lo the eathering of the 800 bushels 

 of carrots in 1837. This man is only one of many. Now, 

 sir, however •' one sided " " H" may think the " state- 

 ment," he will admit, I trust, that the bed itself is tioo- 

 sided, and tells the truth ; and this has already produced 

 ' ever expected my slatc-ment 

 Yours, 



AoRlCOLiE FlLIUS. 



collection, which we hesitate not to say were the best 

 ever grown in this section of the country. 

 For Committee, 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 

 May 26. 

 Vegetables. — From J. L. L. F. Warren, Brighton, a 

 fine specimen of bleached Giant Rhubarb or Pie Plant. 

 This plant was closely covered with a lime cask, on the 

 17th inst. having then just appeared above ground. 

 For the Committee, 



S. WALKER. 



Saturday, June 2, 1838. 

 Fruit. — Apples, Mackay Sweeting, fioin the farm of 

 Capt. Mackay, from Weston. 



June 2, 1838. 



Vegetables, From .Mr Warren, Brighton, fine 



specimens of English Cape Broccoli; Early Cauliflow- 

 ers ; Green Prickly, Short Horn, and White Spine Cu- 

 cumber. 



ore carrot beds, than I 

 would produce. 



Lancaster, May 3, 1838. 

 Mk JosfPH Breck. 



Dear S;r— Last fall I planted a row of horse chestnuts 

 as I plant |hms, say in latter part of October, covering 

 them little more than an inch deep. I then laid a board 

 over them, covering that with an inch or two of earth. 

 About April 15th, 1 removed the board, and found life 

 in the nuts. It appears to me they all took root. I 

 have now 3.5 seedlings 8 or 10 inches high ! I suppose 

 they will endure the winter without protection, it se- 

 cured airain.it the mouse. I sliall endeavor to shelter 

 them Irom that and every other assailant. Whether my 

 common chestnuts will show themselves this season I am 

 anxious to know. 



Sir, your aged and sincere 



friend and serv't, A. P. 



The above is from a venerable and respected friend, 

 now past fourscore years, and yet busily engaged in 

 planting nuts and setting out trees. We shall he glad 

 if any of our correspondents would inform him through 

 the N. E. Farmer what will be the best method of rais. 

 ing chestnuts from the nut, as he has hitherto been un- 

 succensful It would be a gratification to him and a 

 benefit to tiie public to be instructed on ibis point.— 

 Shall we hear from some one who has had experience .' 



J. B. 



Floweks.— From the Messrs Winship's, Brighton^ 

 Syringa Chinensis, or Chinese Lilac; Spiraea hyper- 

 icifulia; do. chama^drifolia ; do. laivigata ; Xylosteum 

 tartaricum ; do. vulgare ; do. album; Caucasium; 

 Ranunculus repens ; do. aconilifolius pi ; do. acris ph ; 

 Plilox's ; Lamium rugosum ; Actaa alb.i ; Sanguinea 

 grandiflora. 



From Thomas Lee, Esq. Brookliue, fair specimens of 

 the following plants, viz ; Macartney Rosfe ; Belle Pari- 

 sienne do.; Four Seasons do. ; Dahlia fimbriata alba i 

 do. Columbine ;Plilox Drummmidi, (pot); do. do, (cut); 

 Sylphium Californicum ; Eschallzia croc;ea ; Leplusy- 

 phon Androsace; Silene compacta; Asclepias tube- 

 roso ; Clarkia alba; Lupinus mulabilis. 



By Wm Meller, Roxbury, Tropeolum pentaphyllum. 

 By S. Walker, Roxbury, a variety of Tulips. 

 For the Committee, 



S. W.'VLKER, Chairman. 

 [Cr The Chairman of the Jijdges appointed to award 

 the premiums for the best specimens of Geraniums, 

 drew up a report and forwarded it,by private conveyance, 

 to the Chairman of ijie Committee on Flowers; said 

 report has not yet come to hand, or it would have been 

 made public before this lime. This statement, of facts, 

 is made that the gentlemen, who contributed to the 

 Geranium S//oto, may know ihal the neglect to report i 

 does not lie with the Judges, or the Committee on i 

 Flowers. By order of the Flower Committee, 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 

 Boston, June 'J, 1836. 



Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Saturday, May 19, 1838. 

 Flowers.— Messrs llovey & Co. presented some ex- 

 tra fine specimens of Hyacinth, We called at their 

 garden, in Cambridgeport, and saw the residue of their 



COLUMBIAN KOBTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Fifth Annual Exhibition of this Sogiety will be 

 holden at Caiusi's Saloon on ll.ih street, Washington, 

 on the 13th and 14th of June next, to which glo^^ers of 

 flowers, fruits, and vegetables, and the fi lends and pro, 

 motersof the honorable, interesting, and useful art of 

 Horticulture, are respectfully invited lo attend, and con- 

 tribute from their productions. 



The Society having been made the recipient, by spe. 

 cial request from several of the most distinguished cul- 

 tivators of the grape in the United Stati;s of liberal 

 samples of wines manufactured by them from that fruit, 

 with Ihe express view of testing the merits of the sanis 

 in competition with wines of foreign growth, the conv 

 mitt-o respectfully invite all other wine-growers who] 

 the Society may not at the present time have the pleai 

 ure of knowing by name or reputation, to contribute 

 also from their -tores specimens of their facture in evi. 

 dence of Ihoir patriotic zeal to promote the comforU 



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