IMPLEMENTS FOR ROOT CULTURE. 235 



employ an indifferent hand-, because the whole result depends 

 upon it. 



Tools. — 1 will run through the tools. "We first use the wheel 

 hoe. That is a hoe (I suppose most of the farmers are ac- 

 quainted with it) running between two wheels. The great defect 

 of those sold in the agricultural stores is, that the handle is not 

 long enough, and the man is kept stooping over. It is very- 

 exhausting work. A man ought to be able to stand up, when 

 the wheel hoe is used on onions. AVhen the onions get somewhat 

 large, so that the tops will not interfere with the hoe, then we 

 use the slide hoe. I saw a very fine variety of that in Connec- 

 ticut. There are varieties of these implements which are some- 

 what local in their use ; some local gefiius gets them up. This 

 one down in Connecticut consists of a series of half ploughshares 

 set on a spring. I think it was in the form of a triangle. I tried 

 to get one made, but the man had got out of the notion, and 

 wouldn't make one, nor let anybody else undertake it, and so 

 the thing dropped. There is one in our town, made by an old 

 fariner named Wm. Goodwin, a man who lias spent all his lei- 

 sure hours in trying to invent something. He has got up a very 

 good thing in the shape of a slide hoe. The great object is to 

 get near the root, and avoid the labor of hand weeding. If we can 

 get within an inch we do very well, but that has to be weeded 

 over. If we can get nearer than that, we can save a vast deal. 

 Mr. Goodwin has invented a very simple implement. II3 has 

 done it by throwing the hoe back somewhat, and he can do as 

 much .by four slidings as others do in six. Then there is the 

 Noyes' wecder. Mr. Noyes sent me some last spring, and I 

 found my boys all liked them. It is a foot in length, lozenge- 

 shaped, set in a little handle. It will save a great deal of work, 

 especially where the ground is baked. 



Quanlily of Seed to the Acre. — Of onions, we plant from 

 three and a half to four pounds. The old rule was three 

 pounds ; then we increased the quantity to three pounds and a 

 half, and now we think four pounds none too many. Of car- 

 rots, if we could have the seed-bed in first-rate condition, a 

 pound would answer, but that is a little risky. The seeds are 

 very small, and therefore a pound and a half is safer. I see 

 some seed-men recommend five pounds to the acre. I do not 

 know what tliey do with them when they come up ; indeed, I 



