ROOT CROPS. 93 



for desper soils. In sowing by hand, care should be taken that 

 the seeds are dropped uniformly ; this is difficult, from their 

 nature, because, being minute and light, and covered with a 

 hairy down, they are liable to be dropped too closely, or in 

 irregular bunches. In covering them, rake from the outside of 

 the drill lightly towards the middle in which they are deposited, 

 taking care that they are not covered at a greater depth than 

 from three-fourths of an inch to an inch. 



Culture. 

 As soon as the young plants have produced three or four 

 leaves, four or five inches in length, they should be thinned out ; 

 this is when they are about six weeks in the ground. The 

 plants should be removed when growing at a less distance than 

 four inches apart, and at the same time they should be hoed and 

 hand weeded, which operation should be repeated every three 

 or four weeks, and even oftener if the soil is very weedy. A 

 plough run between the drills once or twice during the season 

 is desirable, keeping the earth loose and porous. 



Harvesting. 



This occurs about the close of October ; the roots are first 

 loosened in the earth by running a plough through one side of 

 the drill, when they are easily removed with the hand or fork. 

 In most localities the whole plant is piled in the field, allowed 

 to remain through the greater part of the day, and then carted 

 to the barn or shed, for topping at leisure. The leaves should 

 be removed without wounding the root, and, after the dirt is 

 shaken from them, are valuable for cattle and horses. The root 

 itself should be treated in the same manner as the ruta-baga, 

 already described. It is valuable for cattle, but is peculiarly 

 desirable for horses' food, (for which purpose it is almost exclu- 

 sively grown in England,) furnishing a good substitute for grain, 

 and also acting sanatively on the general health of the animal. 



Yield. 

 This varies considerably on different lands. As high as 850 

 bushels to the acre have been reported, and as low as 400 bushels. 

 Probably about 700 bushels, weighing sixty pounds each, may 



