NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



For the New England Farmer. 



CULTUEE OF CARROTS. 



Several queries have lately arisen in relation to 

 this valuable vegetable, by reason of suggestions 

 from those experienced in their culture. 



First, what depth should the land be plowed for 

 the advantageous culture of the carrot ? Second, 

 can the carrot be advantageously grown several 

 years successively on the same land ? As to the 

 Urst inquiry, we had supposed that deep stirring of 

 the land, say from 9 to 12 inches at least, would be 

 beneficial to the crop of carrots. It had not oc 

 curred to think otherwise, until we heard a prac 

 tical man who has grown as fine crops as we have 

 ever seen, (more than 1200 bushels, of 50 pounds 

 each, to the acre,) say, that he used only a single 

 horse in plowing his land for carrots ; — and rarely 

 plowed more than 5 or G inches deep. We asked 

 him why he plowed this depth ? and he said he 

 would not thank any one to ])low any deeper than 

 this. In fact, he knew this depth would yield a 

 better crop than if the land was plowed deeper. 

 He then related his experience in this manner. 



One season he had engaged his neighbor to come 

 with his oxen to aid in plowing his carrot field. — 

 By reason of some delay, only about two-thirds of 

 the field was turned, before night came on ; and 

 he turned the remainder the next morning, with 

 the horse alone, without the oxen. The entire field 

 was manured alike and treated alike, in all other 

 respects ; and the part plowed with the horse 

 alone produced lai-ger carrots, and a heavier crop 

 than the other part of the field. Ever since he 

 has used only his horse in preparing land for car- 

 rots, and he urjually plants from a half to two acres. 

 He is not a man who boasts of what he does, or 

 who is fond of having his name appear in papers. 

 He is a man who understands very well what he is 

 about — and what he says can be relied on. I am 

 aware that the appearance of one swallow is not 

 a sure indication that summer has come, but it is 

 enough to awaken inquiry, and unless some facts 

 appear to the contrary, is enough to warrant the 

 belief that summer is near. 



As to the second inquiry, I know no definite 

 facts bearing upon it, but have heard opinions very 

 different, from those equally well experienced. 

 Whether there is actually any thing peculiar in re- 

 lation to crops of carrots following each other can 

 only be answered by those who have been obser- 

 vjint of facts. If my recollection is right, the cul- 

 tivators of Worcester county have maintained that 

 they grow abundantly five years or more successive- 

 ly on the same land. In Essex, the opinion pre- 

 vails, that it is not well to attempt to grow them 

 more than two years in succession. If you or your 

 correspondents can throw light on these inquiries, 

 they will do a good service to the farmers of the 

 community. *^* 



December 3d, ISoG. 



REMArJvS. — It is minute, special inquiries in re- 

 gard to crops that lead to beneficial results. Our 

 correspondent is one of the most untiring and crit- 

 ical observers, and has done good service to the 

 cause by this habit. Theory and practice have 



the theor)', however, may be a correct one, — we 

 cannot, positively, gainsay it. The common prac- 

 tice is against it. The kind of land, the location, 

 even though the land were all in one piece, and 

 the state of humidity and heat and oold, must be 

 pretty well known in order to judge understand- 

 ingly of this experiment. This our correspondent 

 well understood in his suggestion that one swallow 

 is not a sure indication of summer. This notice of 

 the subject will lead to more experiments. 



We have cultivated carrots on the same piece of 

 land/our years in succession, with a gradual in- 

 crease of crop. Is not 'this the correct course ? 

 Manure highly, with manure as free as possible 

 from all seeds, cultivate thoroughly, so as to utter- 

 ly exclude all weeds, and then occupy the same 

 land for the carrot crop fronl year to year. The 

 main cost of the carrot is not incurred in plowing, 

 manuring or seeding, but in weeding; this is a 

 slow, tedious, and expensive process, — one which 

 the farmer who is accustomed to active habits can- 

 not endure, and which deters thousands from en- 

 gaging in it. 



TRANSPORTATION PROTECTOE. 



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The inventor of this useful contrivance for trans- 

 porting tender articles that are liable tc injury in 

 transporting, Mr. Henry B. Osgood, sends us the 

 following description, which, with the engravings 

 themselves, .will clearly describe their construction 

 and the uses to which they may be appropriated. 



Dear Sir : — My spring frame for packages, or 

 Transportation Protector, for which letters Patent 

 were granted to m« on the 4th of Nov. last, is de- 

 signed to protect fruits, and such things as are 

 easily broken, or damaged by being bruised, during 

 the process of transportation, storing and handling; 

 and more efFsctually and easily than can be done 

 by the ordinary means. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, 

 A, is a basket, or may be a box, or any other suita- 

 ble vessel or receptacle to contain the articles to be 

 transported ; B, is the protector frame, and C, is 



