1S53. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



169 



the rich, or the more humble domicil of the poor, 

 but must rejoice to learn th.at the root culture is 

 gaining favor with most intelligent farmers. _ The 

 advantages, indeed, which result from devoting a 

 few acres to such purposes are so striking, and add 

 80 much to the profit and economy of every well 

 conducted form, that one wonders how intelligent 

 agriculturists could so long have rejected the evi- 

 dences which have so obviously presented them- 

 selves for consideration-, and with a view of bring- 

 ing these facts more immediately to view, we will 

 freely state them. 



"To begin, then, we will premise, that each 

 working horse will consume three gallons of corn 

 per day, (equal to that, without hay) or 1095 gal- 

 lons per year. Now if we take thirty bushels as 

 the average yield of an acre in corn, Avhich is a 

 large one, it will take four acres, sixty perches of 

 ground to raise corn enough to sustain a single 

 horse. On the other hand let us suppose that an 

 acre in carrots will raise three hundred bushels, 

 (and this is a small average, for seven hundred 

 bushals have often been produced on an acre,) and 

 as it has been ascertained that three pecks of this 

 root are sufficient to sustain a horse well at labor, 

 and as there are 12 hundred pecks in three huu-' 

 dred bushels, so will one acre sustain a horse one 

 year and thirty-five days, making a saving of three 

 acres and ninety perches of land, and nearly the 

 equivalent of that amount of labor is tillage, as all 

 will admit that if the carrots h& judiciously drilled, 

 the amount of labor to be performed on their cul- 

 ture is very little greater than what is requisite 

 to secure a good yield of corn — one thinning and 

 three hoeings being all that is necessary to ensure 

 a good crop. As to manuring, we will observe that 

 they do not require more than ought to be given 

 to corn, as less than twenty loads should not b( 

 devoted to either. The gathering and prcserva 

 tion is, to I>e sure, more tedious per acre ; but when 

 the labor to be bestowed on four acres and ninety 

 perches in corn, is compared with that requisite 

 for one acre of carrots, we think the amount will 

 stand decidedly in favor of the latter." 



That tlje writer of the foregoing should have in- 

 dulged the belief, as he seems to have done, that 

 seven hundred bushels is to be regarded as the 

 maximum yield of an acre cultivated j?(f/£cio?is/y in 

 this root, is certainly deserving of surprise. A 

 Mr. Little residing in Newbury, or Newburyport, 

 in this State, some years since harvested twice that 

 quantity — 1400 from one acre, and in the reports 

 of many of our agricultural societies, as well as 

 those of Great Britain, it is seldom that any crop 

 not exceeding seven hundred bushels is mentioned. 

 The sugar beet, mangel wurtzel, and other popu- 

 lar root crops, often exceed one thousand. The 

 latter are perhaps less expensive, so far as cultiva- 

 tion is concerned, than the carrot; but they are 

 less nutritive, and are supposed to be more ex- 

 hausting to the soil on which they grow. For 

 neat stock, the parsnip is now highly esteemed by 

 cattle breeders, both in this country and in Eu- 

 rope. Its yield is about equal to that of the ear- 

 rot, and it requires about the same soil and treat- 

 ment. It is an excellent feed for hogs, sheep, and 

 other stock. 



POTATOES—INTERESTING EXPERI- 

 MENT, 



The Journal of the New York State Agricultu- 

 ral Society contains a very elaborate and care- 

 fully prepared table, showing the result of experi- 

 ments in the cultivation of potatoes, in every pos- 

 sible mode, and under all the different circum- 

 stances which could well be conceived; the whole 

 forming a mass of information seldom found con- 

 densed into so small a compass. It is from the 

 pen of our friend H. H. Eastman, Esq., of Mar- 

 shall, one of the best practical farmers in the 

 State — a careful experimenter and exact observer 

 of results. In this table Mr. E. has presented 

 the result of his experiments with such exactness, 

 and in so concise a form, as to be readily under- 

 stood by tlie reader. We only regret that it is so 

 formidable as to prevent its being laid before our 

 readers in detail, especially as the rule and figure 

 work in the table is very inconvenient for our col- 

 umns. We may, however, as briefiy as may be, 

 state some of the results of the experiments, as 

 gathered from a careful perusal of the table, hop- 

 ing at some future time to present the matter in 

 a more acceptable form. 



1. Manures. Tlie experiments embrace Hog 

 manure. Fermented and Unfermented Yard Ma- 

 nure, Compost, Manure of Fowls, Lime, Ashes, 

 Gypsum, Sulphur, Saltpetre, &c. &c. The re- 

 sults are decidedly favorable to the use of Hog 

 manure the manure of Fowls coming next, the 

 Compost next, then the Unfermented Manure. 

 The Lime and Gypsum did not increase the yield 

 beyond that part on which no manure was used. 

 The same may be said of the Sulphur and Saltpe- 

 tre. 



2. Time of Planting. The earliest planting 

 proved decidedly best — the difference between the 

 18th and 28th Slay being 19 bushels per acre, and 

 a further reduction on that portion planted as late 

 as 10th June of 34 bushels per acre, with a deci- 

 ded advantage as to size and quality in favor of 

 those planted early. 



3. Whole and Cut ; and Large and Small Seed. 

 Here the result proves precisely as we anticipated. 

 The seed from large potatoes produced decidedly 

 best. We will give the exact statement. 



Weight of Weight of Bushels 

 Seed. Product, pr acre, 



10 lbs. 6 on. 71 lbs. 8 oz. 192 



Large Potatoes One whole 



whole, in a hill, 



Large Potatoes Two halves ,„ ., ,. 



halved, in each l.i!l, 10 ^l'^- •> ^'^ 



Large Potnloe? One-half in 



halved, each hill, 



Large Potatoes 4 ciuarters 



quartered, in each hill. 



5 lbs. 3 oz. 

 9 lbs. 



8 libs. 

 5S lbs. 

 58 lbs. 



217 

 139 

 156 



Thus far with reference to cut and uncut ; those 

 htxlved producing most when used in the same 

 quantity, but a little smaller in size than the pro- 

 duct from the whole seeds. The produce of the 

 quartered seed was much smaller and inferior. 

 The following is a pretty clear test between large 

 and small seed. 



Weight of Weight of Bushels 



Seed. Product, prare. 



12 lbs. 4 OE. 80 lbs. 215 



6 lbs. 50 lbs. 8 oz. 135 



31bs. 7oz. 43 lbs. 8 OK. 117 



6 lbs. 14 01. 51 Ibe. 138 



9 lbs. 63 lbs. 167 



Large, oae whole in hill. 

 Medium, " " 



Small, '• '■ 



Small, two whole in hill, 

 Small, four whole in hill 



The produce of small seed inferior and unmarketable. 



A very clear demonstration , so far as our experi- 

 ment goes, in fitvor of large seed, a result which 



