230 



Gardening. — Suqar Beet. 



VolIL 



a well known fact, that the citizens of Phila- 

 delphia are always willing to pay a higher 

 price for articles, that are well and neatly 

 got up, and exhibited in a clean and tidy 

 manner, without the appearance of blood, dirt, 

 or dirty cloths ; and it is said that it helps 

 lihe price, and procures a more ready sale, it 

 tlie vendor is clean shaved, and has no segar 

 in his moLitli. It is even said, that some 

 fastidious people have adopted it as a rule for 

 JSiemselves, not to purchase any article of a 

 person who smokes in market ; perhaps, this 

 is carrying it too far, but every one must be 

 indulged in his notions in these matters. 

 Now, Mr. Editor, if you do not think the 

 above worth printing, just put it in the fire, 

 and say nothing about it; but if you will ask 

 the foregoing questions, you will oblige an 

 indifterent 



Farmer. 



Feb. 22, 1838. 



From the Yankee Farmer. 



Profits of OardciBiug. 



Mr. Cole: — Last year, I purchased at your 

 office the following seeds, one paper of each, 

 at 6 1-4 cents per paper, amounting to 37 1-2 

 cents which yields as follows: 

 Ruta Baga, 30 bush., at 25 cts. $7 50 

 T. R. Cabbage, 30 do. 31 1-4 9 371 

 Sugar Beet, 8 do. 75 6 00 



Onion, 5 do. 1 00 5 00 



Carrot, 7 do. 33 2 31 



Parsnep, 6 do. 50 3 00 



Cost of raising, and seed. 



$33 18i 

 5 37; 



Profit, ,f27 81 



Probably I should have had double the 

 amount had I put the seed on more ground, 

 as the vegetables grew very large, some ot 

 the ruta bagas weighed from 8 to 10 pounds 

 apiece — the turnep rooted cabbages below 

 ground 121bs., and some of the sugar beets 

 over 61bs. I mention this small instance 

 of the great profit of gardening to show what 

 farmers and gardeners may do, and the im- 

 portance of so wing and planting good seed. 

 A Young Farmer. 



ECONOMICAL FOOD FOR HORSES. 



Nine pounds of bread, made of oatmeal 

 and bean flour, will afford more nourishment 

 to horses than a bushel of oats of good quality. 

 A French fanner in Hainault feeds his horses 

 during the winter with a mixture of boiled 

 potatoes and chopped straw, giving each 

 horse daily, at two feeds, about fourteen 

 pounds, of potatoes, which food agreco with 

 the horses, and is much relished by them. 



The Sugar Beet.. 



As many of our farmers are directing their 

 attention to the cultivation of the beet root, 

 principally for the use of stock, we have 

 thought that a few remarks on its cultivation, 

 gleaned from sources entitled to confidence, 

 would be acceptable to the readers of the Cabi- 

 net. CiiAPTAL, authorized by 10 or 12 succes- 

 sive years of experiments and observations 

 upon the culture of the beet-root, advises the 

 "sowing of the seed in the latter part of April 

 or the beginning of May, when there is no long- 

 er any danger of the return of frost,! have sown 

 it with good success about tlie middle of the 

 month of June." In this latitude the middle 

 of April would probably answer very well, 

 allowance, however, should be made for the 

 state of the weather. It does not answer 

 well to sow "immediately after the cessation 

 of frosts as the ground beings cold and wet 

 the seed does not germinate immediately, 

 and the soil becoming hardened by tlie vio- 

 lence of the rains, does not admit the air to 

 penetrate, so that if the seed do not decay, 

 the beets come up badly." Tlie most favora- 

 ble period for sowing is that when the earth, 

 although heated by the rays of the sun, still 

 contains suiEcient moisture to produce ger- 

 mination and to facilitate the growth of the 

 young plant; the month of April and the 

 early part of May generally unite these ad- 

 vantages. 



CHOICE OF SEED. 



" A good agriculturist should always raise 

 his own seeds ; lor this purpose he will plant 

 his beet-roots in the spring, in a good soil, 

 and gather the seed in September, as fast as 

 it ripens, selecting only the best, and leav- 

 ing upon the stalkssuch as are not thorough- 

 ly ripe ; each beet-root will furnish from five 

 to ten ounces of seeds. When no care is 

 taken in selecting the seeds, and they are 

 sown indiscriminately, not only are many 

 of the beets small, and ill-grown, but half of 

 the seeds sown do not yield any thing." Tiie 

 seeds should be fresh, not exceeding two 

 years old, and the utmost care should be 

 taken that they are of the true kind. 



CHOICE OF .SOILS. 



Distinction in the choice of soils for the 

 culture of this root is exceedingly important. 

 Its nature is to penetrate low into the ground, 

 and, therefore, prefers a deep loose mould 

 in which it can vegetate without obstacle. 

 Its radicles easily collect the nourishment 

 necessary for its support, and it thrives luxu- 

 riantly.* All grain lands are more or less 



JNotice of the Sugar Beet, pagt.- 20, 



