230 



Culture of Beet, and Soiling Cattle. 



Vol. V. 



preceding observations, it is evident that 

 neither early nor late sowing will secure the 

 crop from the depredations of the fly. Burn- 

 ing the stubble, directly after harvest — lime 

 or ashes strewed on the wheat early in May 

 — rolling, to mash them, and forty other ex- 

 pedients have been recommended, but I have 

 no confidence in any. 



Until the wheat crop shall be entirely 

 abandoned for two or three years, throughout 

 the whole country, it will be a very uncertain 

 one. I am, however, willing to hope on, and 

 work on ; perhaps in the course of events a 

 remedy may be discovered. W. L. H. 



Woodlawn, Harford Co., Maryland, Jan. 25, 1841. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Culture of Beet, and Soiling Cattle. 



Respected Friend, — I have found so 

 much uncertainty in the drill barrow, in sow- 

 ing the sugar-beet, that I purpose, this year, 

 to plant by hand, after marking out the ground 

 with a rake, say about six feet head, set with 

 harrow-teeth, at the required distance of the 

 plants, and drawn by a careful man, dropping 

 one bur in a place, if previously sprouted, 

 otherwise, two in a place, for safety. An 

 accurate drill would be a great object, even' 

 at the extra expense for seed. I have used 

 Robbins's corn-planter and turnip-drill, but 

 the rough character of the bur, or if rolled in 

 plaster their adhesion by dampness, has made 

 the planting too uncertain. 



Notwithstanding the European injunction, 

 to keep the beet well cultivated throughout 

 the period of its growth, I am now convinced, 

 after several years' practice, that I have lost 

 much by so doing; and have concluded to 

 give them a thorough early culture, and then 

 let them alone, except to pull weeds, if any 

 should spring up afterward. 



Knowing that a soil ploughed down deep, 

 with plenty of partially-fermented manure, 

 is easily kept clean, besides its tendency to 

 friability from the decomposition going on 

 below, I think of trying the beet as a fallow 

 crop this year, with only one good, deep 

 ploughing, thoroughly pulverized by harrows 

 and cultivator, previous to planting — the 

 thinning, one good hand hoeing, and the 

 " hoetobaga" run through the rows once or 

 twice before harvest, I think, will probably 

 be sufficient culture ; by harvest, if planted 

 as I purpose — say about fifteen inches square 

 — the tops will entirely cover and shade the 

 ground, and thereafter keep down weeds and 

 grass, and preserve moisture and friability. 



The great advantage which the English 

 agriculturists possess, and avail themselves 

 of so profitably, is the adaptation of their cli- 

 mate to the turnip culture, and the mildness 

 of their winters, which admit of keeping and 



feeding out roots through that season, with 

 as little skill, or care, as we must exercise in 

 late autumn or early spring. — This has in- 

 flamed the emulation of many of our agricul- 

 turists : but we have to contend with a pre- 

 carious climate, for all the varieties of the 

 turnip, and then with weather below zero, in 

 winter, which sometimes freezes the roots 

 between the magazine and the mouths of the 

 animals fed on them. Hence the disappoint- 

 ment and discouragement which the root-cul- 

 ture is now labouring under. 



But, I am of opinion, our climate admits 

 of, and is favourable to, the culture of the 

 beet, and that it will succeed, as our experi- 

 ence advances. They may be fed in the 

 autumn and spring, as profitably as elsewhere, 

 and preserved through the severest part of 

 our winters, without difficulty, if buried in 

 deep, narrow pits, entirely below the injiuence 

 of air, much less of frost. 



I must now tell thee I purpose trying the 

 soiling of cattle this year. I think of feeding 

 about five-and-twenty — supposing that num- 

 ber will absorb the exclusive attention of one 

 man. I have now growing, clover, clover 

 mixed with timothy, timothy pure, orchard- 

 grass (cocks'-fbot), and green grass. I pro- 

 pose, also, sowing a few acres of Dutton-com, 

 early, and at different times, broadcast, at the 

 rate of say three bushels per acre — these I 

 propose cutting to suit the appetites of my 

 cattle — the corn to be sown on a heavy ma- 

 nuring, on ground designed for wheat, in the 

 fall. I prefer trying the Dutton-com on ac- 

 count of its tendency to throw up suckers — 

 supposing it may make a good second cut- 

 ting. Respectfully, 



J. J. 



Chester Co., 1st Month 11th, 1841. 



Morello Cherry. 



Editor of Frederick Herald. — Thinking it 

 might be interesting to such of your readers, 

 who may be disposed to try the pruning 

 process recommended in the extract from 

 Prince's Pomological Manual, published in 

 the last Herald, for the preservation of the 

 Morello cherry-tree, which is fast disappear- 

 ing from amongst us, I would state, that six 

 years ago I removed the limbs, upon which 

 the black knotty excrescences appeared, from 

 a small sprout of tliat variety of cherry, and 

 have carefully continued to do so ever since: 

 it has become a beautiful little tree, about 4 

 inches in diameter, has borne fruit three 

 times, and appears to be doing well. My 

 fondness for this variety of cherry induced 

 me to make the experiment, which is still in 

 progress — the knots having made their ap- 

 pearance every year. D. W. Neil. 

 Tarn's Creek. 



