134 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



and the weeds pulled from tlie rows. Cost of cultivating and 

 weeding, $20. The crop was gathered about the middle of Oc- 

 tober ; the roots were stripped of leaves and thrown into rows of 

 four rows each, in the forenoon, and in the afternoon carted to 

 the cellar. Cost of harvesting crop, $15. Product of 117 rods 

 — 29 tons 110 pounds. 



Statement of H. F. Longfellow. 

 Swedish Turnips. — The land on which the turnips were 

 raised was broken up in 1867 and planted with potatoes ; 

 in 1868 a crop of corn was raised upon it. Each year it re- 

 ceived about thirty loads of manure to the acre. The piece 

 which I enter is part of ray field of three acres, and was manured 

 with thirty-three loads of barnyard manure, spread broadcast 

 and ploughed in to the depth of four inches, and then thrown 

 into ridges, thirty inches apart, with a double mould-board 

 plough. A heavy brush harrow was then passed lengthways 

 over the ridges, leaving them so smooth that the seed was easily 

 sown with a common brush seed sower, on the 21th of June. 

 The plants were thinned to the distance of nine inches. The 

 seed used, was Skirring's King of Swedes and Carter's Improved, 

 at the rate of one and one-third pounds to the acre. Both varie- 

 ties are good. After hoeing once, the weeds were pulled by 

 hand. The three rods selected as an average, by a member of 

 your committee, Mr. Perkins, were harvested on the second of 

 November, and the turnips, after being relieved of tops, dirt 

 and roots, weighed 1,060| pounds — 56,580 pounds, or 943 bushels 

 to the acre, which I think is the largest crop ever offered for the 

 society's premium, and if it had not been for the drouth of July 

 and August, I think I should have raised 1,200 bushels to the 

 acre. 



COST OF CROP. 



Manure, hauling, and spreading, 



Ploughing, ridging, and harrowing, . 



Seed, hoeing, weeding, thinning, and harvesting, 



Interest on land, ...... 



Cr. by tops and small turnips, 



$80 00 



