THE GENESEE FARMER. 



149 



iat may take place, the weight of the firkin is 

 •anded upon it. A little fine salt is then sprink- 

 le) in the bottom, and the butter packed tightly 

 ith a wooden rammer, or with the knuckles, and 

 ie greatest attention must be paid to this opera- 

 on, so that there shall not be any vacant point 

 ft, as the air contained in that vacant place, no 

 atter how small, would soon spoil the butter. 

 If the firkin or jar is not filled at one churning, 

 e butter must be covered with pickle, or some 

 It sprinkled over it, and a clean cloth pressed 

 ose upon it, to keep out the air, until the next 

 mrning is ready, when the pickle is poured off, 

 ! the salt carefully removed with a spoon, and the 

 aooth surface roughened or raised into furrows, 

 r the purpose of allowing the last packed butter 

 i become perfectly united with the first, without 

 ly appearance of seam, which would be the case 

 ere this precaution neglected. When the firkin or 

 tr is filled, a little salt is strewed on the surface, 

 id a piece of linen, dipped in strong salt and wa- 

 r, is spread equally over the top, when the cask 

 ay be headed, and is then ready for market, to 

 hich it should be sent with as little delay as pos- 

 itfe. 



Butter whieh has been improperly packed, or 

 herwise affected by the air, becomes rancid ; but 

 is may be cured by beating it in water into which 

 sm twelve to fifteen drops of chloride of lime to 

 e ponnd of butter have been added. After 

 orking it well, leave it lying in the water for two 

 >urs, and then wash it in pure cold water, when 

 will -be found to have become sweetened. 



CULTIVATION OF CAEEOTS. 



Eds. Gen. Farmer : — Noticing in both the March 

 id April numbers of your paper, a communica- 

 jn in reference to the cultivation of carrots and 

 her root crops, and disagreeing with both your 

 irrespondents in some respects, I should like to' 

 ve them the benefit of my limited experience 

 rough your valuable paper. 

 Of the value of the carrot, in comparison with 

 her roots, enough has already been said — and 

 in will hardly find any two persons who exactly 

 ;ree in this respect, and as to the proper quantity 

 be fed. Carrots are undoubtedly the best of all 

 iOts for horses, but for horned cattle and hogs I 

 •eatly prefer the mangel wurzel beet. As far as 

 y experience goes, cows will give more milk and 

 itter quality, and both fat and working cattle will 

 irive better on mangels than on either carrots or 

 mips. 



The best soil for carrots is a light, rich loam, but 

 ey will grow on any soil if properly prepared. I 

 ive raised them upward of thirty inches long on 

 w, damp ground, when deeply subsoiled. 

 The yield of the carrot crop depends entirely on 

 ie preparation and tillage. The ground should be 

 ell manured — not less than twenty ox-cart loads 

 jr acre, and thirty or forty would be better. I 

 ive used raw manure with as good results as when 

 ell rotted. Plow thoroughly, incorporating the 

 lanure with the soil, and follow the first plow with 

 good, stirring subsoil plow. Do not ie afraid of 

 "Ming too deep. Harrow level and roll lightly be- 

 >re planting. For this purpose, I use a combined 

 arrow and roller, — a one-horse machine — with 



which in three hours I can prepare half an acre^of 

 rough plowed ground for the seed drill, thereby sav- 

 ing all the expense of harrowing and raking the 

 ground as it is usually done. 



As to the time for planting carrots, I do not 

 agree with u O. R." in the March number of the 

 Farmer. He recommends sowing as early as pos- 

 sible. I have invariably found the crop better 

 when sown between the first and fifteenth of May, 

 than when sown before that time. When sown in 

 April, the early rains promote too great growth of 

 tops, and [during the latter part of summer seed 

 stalks are thrown out, which prevent the roots 

 from attaining any size. 



In sowing, I use a seed drill of my own inven- 

 tion, which sows and covers two rows at once. I 

 can sow two acres per day. I put my rows six- 

 teen inches apart, and thin to about four inches in 

 the row. 



I have found it a good plan to mix radish seed 

 with the carrot seed (the Yellow Summer turnip 

 is a good variety) ; about one ounce of radish to 

 one lb. of carrot seed is sufficient. The radishes 

 come up in a few day, and enable me to trace the 

 rows distinctly during the first hoeing. As fast as 

 they are large enough, they are pulled up for mar- 

 ket or home use, and therefore do not interfere at 

 all with the growth of the carrots. 



After seeing and trying different implements for 

 the cultivation of carrots and other root crops, and 

 being satisfied with none, I got up a hand cultiva- 

 tor, which works admirably. It cuts close to the 

 row, and is adapted to any depth not exceeding 

 two inches, and any width not exceeding two feet; 

 leaving the ground level, with the weeds on the 

 surface. One man can tend from one to two acres 

 per day with it. 



The crop should be hoed as soon as the rows can 

 be distinguished ; and as soon as the weeds show 

 themselves in the rows, set the boys at work. It 

 is good policy not to wait for the weeds to show, 

 but to run a cultivator through the rows every two 

 weeks, until the tops shade the ground, after which 

 they will need but little more care before bar 

 vesting. 



Dig the crop while the ground is dry, and store 

 in a dry, cool cellar, but where they will not freeze. 



It seems to be a very prevalent idea that carrots 

 should be planted with the rows wide apart, and 

 thinned out to eight or ten inches in the row. It 

 is a mistaken one. Just as large carrots can be 

 raised with the rows sixteen inches apart, and 

 thinned out to four or five inches, as by the former 

 method, and I think that if "P. Q.," in the April 

 number of the Farmer, will try my plan, he too 

 will become an " eager advocate," and not pro- 

 nounce 1200 bushels of carrots per acre a "hum- 

 bug. A. M. H 



Rye, N. T., April 1, 1802. 



Sowing Carrots. — Carrots should be sown as 

 early as you plant corn, and before, if the season 

 is warm and forward. From 15 to 18 inches apart 

 the drills should be, and seed of last season's growth 

 used, as carrot seed that is old will not vegetate. 

 Do not let the weeds at the first hoeing get so 

 large as to cover the carrots ; if they do you will 

 have a hard job on your hands to cultivate them 

 properly. — t. b. m. 



