ROOT CROPS. 175 



Statement of Solon Carter. 



Mangold Wcjrzel. — The eighth-acre which I cultivated 

 with mangold wurzel is a claj^ey loam. The crop of 1858 was 

 carrots, that of 1859, mangold wurzel, manured at the rate of 

 twenty loads per acre each year. It was ploughed the last of 

 April, and again just before sowing, two loads of manure hav- 

 ing been spread before the first ploughing, it was then furrowed 

 one way three and one-half feet apart, three loads of manure 

 applied to the furrow, and two furrows turned upon it ; the top 

 of the ridge raked ; a furrow made by drawing a hoe through 

 it, and one-half pound seed sown by hand. May 25tli. As soon 

 as the plants could be seen, I went through with a light harrow, 

 and when large enough to hoe I used tlie horse-hoe, following 

 with the hand-hoe ; tliis was repeated once, but the horse-hoe 

 was run through five times. 



October 20, the roots were pulled and thrown into rows far 

 enough apart for a wagon to go between them, the tops cut off, 

 the roots laid in rows and then thrown into the wagon as one 

 would throw stove wood. 



Cost of ploughing and other preparation, . 



manure, ...... 



seed and sowing, ..... 



cultivation, ...... 



harvesting, ...... 



Total, $19 40 



Produce, 6,720 pounds, equal to 26 tons and 1,760 pounds 

 per acre, or equal to 896 bushels per acre. 



Tops not weighed, but think they were worth one-half the 

 cost of harvesting. 



HAMPSHIRE, FRANKLIN AND HAMPDEN. 



Statement of Henry S. Porter, of Hatfield. 



Carrots. — The piece of land on which my carrots were grown 

 contains forty -one rods. It is a heavy loam mixed with clay. 

 I have used it for raising tobacco, for three or four years ; have 

 got more than twenty-five hundred pounds to the acre. I 



