NO. 81. 



THE FARMERS' CABINET. 



335 



town, prepared a few acres of his ground in 

 the same manner, and with a like result. 

 This plough may also be used to great advan- 

 tage in the cultivation of potatoes, two acres 

 and a half of which nuiy be ploughed and 

 planted in a day, with the assistance of two 

 persons to drop the seed as tiie ground is 

 ploughed, and which is covered by the 

 olouirhing and dressing: the ridges. 



After a crop lias been taken from ground 

 prepared in this manner, the plough is run 

 through the ridges lengthwise, either in fall 

 or spring and the soil is prepared for the suc- 

 ceeding crop. 



If, then, as has been fully demonstrated, a 

 saving of one-half if not two-thirds of the 

 labor of breaking up grass land and preparing 

 it for a corn crop, can be realized by this 

 mode of culture, and at the same time a bet- 

 ter crop produced, it is certainly worthy the 

 attention of the farmers of this county, who, 

 I am satisfied will give to the subject all the 

 considerations which its importance demands. 



^Vasliing Sliccp. 



Bartholomew Nelson, Esq. late of Augus- 

 ta, now of Hallowoll, remarkable for his 

 plain, practical common sense, observed in 

 conversation, that he thought he had made 

 quite an improvement in his mode of washing 

 sheep. Having a stream in his pasture, 

 where he could raise a small head of water, 

 he made a plank box, eight feet long, four 

 feet wide, and three and a half feet high, 

 just below his dam, from which he conducted 

 a stream of water into his box, sufficient to 

 keep it full and running over at the lower end 

 besides a constant discharge from the bottom 

 of the box through a two inch augur hole, to 

 let off the sediment. This box or vat, he 

 considered of fair size for four men to work at, 

 standing on the outside, dry, while they 

 washed their sheep, and then returned them 

 to the flock in the yard, made of suitable size 

 for the number of sheep to be washed, fie 

 thought this cheap establishment increased 

 the comfort of his laborers, compared to wa- 

 ding into the water, and also that they could 

 wash faster and cleaner, without bending so 

 much, or exposing their clothes to be rent. 



A number of neighbors might join in pre- 

 paring such a convenient concern, where they 

 could find suitable water ; or one could build, 

 and then rent the accommodation, if he choose. 

 Considering this information too good to be 

 lost, and it "being a good season to provide the 

 little lumber necessary, I thought I would re- 

 late it as recollected. 



I think he stated that .3 or 4 men completed 

 the whole concern in half a day. — Bangor 

 Mechanic and Farmer. 



Root Crops. 



The great advantnge of the culture of root 

 crops has been proved beyond a doubt; and 

 tliose who do not wish to neglect the most 

 profitable branch of farming, should pay par- 

 ticular attention to the subject. 



Carrots, when planted in a proper soil, a 

 deep rich sandy loam, always a profitable crop, 

 and turnish excellent food for horses in spring 

 when mixed with cut hay, meal, &.c. The 

 Long Orange variety is by far the best for 

 field culture. 



A^ feeble plants, as well as feeble animals, 

 generally produce feeble offspring, potatoes 

 tor seed should be selected from the largest. 

 In dry soils, and in dry seasons, uncut potatoes 

 generally succeed the best, because they do 

 not dry up so soon. Wiien potatoes are cut, 

 they should for this reason be planted deeper 

 than otherwise. 



Gen. A. W, Barnum of Vergcnnes, Vt. 

 raised in one instance at the rate of 3410 

 bushels of potatoes to the acre,* as was 

 proved by the examination of several persons; 

 and he is of opinion that 11)00 bushels may 

 be raised upon an acre of land, with less than 

 half the expense it usually costs on four acres. 

 Those who wish to perform the experiment 

 are referred to the full description given in 

 the Genesee Farmer, vol. b, page 141. 



Mangel wurtzel is one of the most profita- 

 ble crops the farmer can cultivate. Any 

 deep rich soil is well adapted to it, none 

 other should be employed. It may be sowed 

 from the first to the middle of May — about 

 three pounds to the acre — in drills about 15 

 or 18 inches apart. It will require no more 

 labor to hoe a given number of rows at this 

 distance, than the same number at a greater 

 distance, after a cultivator has been passed 

 between theni, and we get more from the 

 ground. It is much better to sow them too 

 thick than too thin, as they are easily thinned 

 by the hand afterwards. Success greatly de- 

 pends on keeping them clear of weeds at the 

 early stages of their growth. Better not cul- 

 tivate a crop if it cannot be done in the best 

 manner, as disappointmenl in consequence of 

 bad culture, does more mischief than is com- 

 monly supposed. Nevertheless, do not fail to 

 cultivate a crop which is attended with so 

 much profit. 



T. & ri. Little, of Newbury, Mass., raised 

 33^ tons of mangel wurtzel to the acre, or 

 more than fourteen hundred bushels. Gideon 

 Foster of Charleston, Mass., raised 43 tons to 

 the acre. Henry Thompson of Baltimore 

 raised at the rate of 60 tons to the acre. 



The ground intended for ruta bajra should 

 be prepared during this month, in order that 



* See Gen. Par. vol. 5, pp. 19, 141. 



