896 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JtKE 81. J*.^7. 



(I'roin the Mechanic &. Fanner.) 

 Cl'LTURE OF RUTA BAGA 



We would advise all those who find it difficult 

 to supply theniselvt'S with tho.se seeds whieli are 

 most neeessary ai;d inipoitiint. by no means to 

 despair, but immediately to iill up their prepared 

 ground with nita baga, carrots, inaniicl-wurtzol — 

 these will answer a very good piu'pose to keep 

 stock durinjj the next winter. Here follows the 

 Rilide: 



Soil. — Any soil suitable for corn will answer 

 for ruta baga. The greatest crops grown in this 

 State, were on what are called our rocky upland, 

 such as is seen on our hills free from ledge. A 

 sandy or clayey loam answers very well, if not 

 too light or stiff. The crop of H. Warren, now 

 ill this city, was grown in 1833, on rocky land, 

 one fourth of an acre producing 375 bushels. — 

 That of Mr Lome of Anson, in 1834, my own in 

 1830, more tlian 1350 on an acre and a half, and 

 oil a paft of the field more than 1100 bushels per 

 acre, was in part on a light, sandy and part light 

 clay loam. Either of these cr.Tps are, I believe, 

 greater than any for which a premium has been 

 awarded, by the ftiassachusetts Agricultural So- 

 ciety. 



Seed time in Maine. — As soon as the season is 

 suitable for planting corn, sow the turnip. If 

 sown sooner, the garden flea will devour the leaf 

 before the third one starts, and blasts your hopes; 

 if delayed much after the first of Jime, the cioj) 

 will not obtain maturity. A few rows, sowed the 

 2Sth of June along side of some sown the latter 

 jiart of May, did not yield so much by more than 

 kulf. 



Preparation of Soil. — If you cidtivate on a stiff" 

 ■oil, plough si.x or eight inches dee[) the ftill ])re- 

 vious. in the sju-ing, cart on 20 cords of winter 

 Diamn-e, not very coarse, to the acre ; cross plough 

 4 to 6 indies, and harrow well. Sheep manure 

 I have founri better than that finm neat stock ; I 

 have grown 100 bushels to the acre on sandy loam 

 by carting on tlie sward, si.x cords maniu'c, and 

 spreading even, then ploughing five inches deep, 

 tvrning the sward as smooth as possible, and lay- 

 ing on the furrows. If the soil is(]uite wet, ridge 

 by turning two Aurows together with a liorse- 

 plough, which will bring the rows a good distance 

 front each other. The practice of ridging on a 

 rfry soil, is a bad one in this climate. I prefer 

 spreading the manure, because tiie filirous roots 

 run all over the ground in search of food, and if 

 it is only given the plant, they will not find so 

 Biuch, as if evenly distributed in the soil. 



Sowing Seed. — Every cultivator, in a large way, 

 rfiould have a drill, which may bo made by a 

 joiner, for two or three dollars, and wnh which a 

 luan will plant, cover and roll an acre in 2 hours. 

 Aliout 2 1-2 feet is a good distance for the rows 

 apart in this climate. If sown f;u- apart that the 

 plants do not wholly cover the ground, when 

 grown, the roots aje not so large. The roots do 

 best in moisture with shade. My general prac- 

 tice has been to soiv the seed in the drills where 

 they are to grow. Some prefer transplanting, and 

 1 am not quite sine it is not as good a way. It 

 saves one hoeing, which is as much work licarlv, 

 «s to transplant, and the roots are more uniforin 

 ill size. About ene pound of seed is the ri"lit 

 cjHantity to the acre — this will allow the insect's a 

 liberal sujiply and a chance to transplant into va- 



Subsequent Culltire. — When the weeds begin to 

 annoy the plants, which will be the case when 

 ihey arc 6 or 8 inches high, give the first hoeing, 

 avoid wounding the plants, or hilling them up. — 

 Examine the field, — and when you find the cut- 

 worm has run his race, thin the plants, so that 

 they may -stand from 9 to 12 inches apart, and fill 

 vacancies by transplanting, first twisting off all 

 the large leaves from the plant. Not one in a 

 hundred will fail. When the weeds appearagain, 

 hoe. In general, tyvo hoeings are sufficient. 



Harvesting About the first of November, get 



all things in order, and on a pleasant and dry day, 

 have a hoe sharpened for a man to go forward, 

 and cut off the tops, another to follow with a 

 hook, which may be made of a pitchfork, with a 

 shank turned to a right angle, with which to draw 

 the root to the ground. Let them remain one or 

 two days for the dirt which adheres to dry; when 

 four rows may be thrown together in heaps. The 

 cart passing between the heaps, allows two men 

 to fill it in a very short time. They should not 

 be put into the cellar till well divested of dirt. — 

 If they are, ihey will rot before spring. If a 

 large quantity is stored together, it will be neces- 

 sary to give fresh air till into December. 



Use. — Other varieties are now being cultivated 

 for the table, and better quality for that juirpose. 

 These are valuable for all domestic animals, hor- 

 ses, neat stock, sheep, swine and poultry. If 

 a.sked for which they arc best ? my anssver would 

 be all. An old horse becotnes, on them, a colt in 

 a short time. A cow will give as much milk and 

 make as much and as good butter, as in summer, 

 by having a bushel per day. Swine will do as 

 well on them raw as on boiled potatoes. 



Witness itiy own now living tvholhj on them. — 

 Roots are |ierhai)s more necessary for young ani- 

 mals the first winter, than after. Let them have 

 .1 liberal sujiply, and they will doiddy pay all ex- 

 penses. And what is the expense ? A man with 

 a goad bump of Saveology on his cranium, will 

 do everythingrelating to their cultivation and har- 

 vesting for less than five cents per bnsliel, to my 

 certain knowledge. 



Spri-xsfiei.d emlx)dies within its territory some 

 of the most finished, expensive and curious ma- 

 chinery constructed in the United States. We 

 may go farther, and say, that many of the inost 

 ingenious anil penetrating minds in the mechanic 

 arts, are to be foiiud in the workshops of the Ar- 

 mory in Springfield. A few hours of leisure the 

 other day, enabled us to examine this eslablisli- 

 ment in detail. — Tiie Water Shops are places of 

 curious interest to visit. Machinery of immeBsc 

 power, of the most intricate and complicated con 

 struction, possessing the nicest accuracy, and of 

 the most costly character, is to be found there. — 

 Iteginning at the lower forging shop, the iron is 

 found in its rude state, and will) the aid of a fur- 

 nace and immense trip hammers, it is formed in- 

 to rough bar iron. Rolling mills for all descrip- 

 lion of iron, are here .seen, and jjonderous bars 

 are reduced to s.wiall rods, with the readiness put- 

 ty could be moidded to any size. It is a legiti- 

 nrnte branch of Vulcan's sliop. The ease with 

 wiiicli immense bars are cut off by huge iron 

 sbears, almost staggers credibility, llcre is pow- 

 er exerted through the aid of machinery, on an 

 immense scale. In contiguous shops, the stock 

 of the musket is turned by machinL^y, frotn a 



rough stick of timber. An iron gun sto<-k regu- - 

 lati's the movements of the chisels, and the curi- 

 ous operation, which once cost the labor of hours, 

 is now performed in the space of a few minutes. 

 The gun barrels are mamd'actured in another shop 

 where the fiiriiace fires glare with a red heat, and 

 the ponderous hammer, ojierating by water, keep 

 u|i a din loud enough tu break the ear-drums. It 

 is impossible to go through with the details of all 

 the process and machinery for fo;-ging the difler- 

 ent parts of the locks, finishing them with exqui- 

 site taste, putting them together, and preparing . 

 the barrel and the stock for their appropriate uses. 

 Every thing is conducted with great system and 

 exaclness. Each workman has his apjirojiriato 

 part to i)erform, and by classification of labor, they 

 are enabled to arrive at perfection, in their vari- 

 ous departments. As evidence of the labor bes- 

 towed upon a musket, and the number of hands 

 it is compelled to pass tliBough, we ascertained 

 that the lock alone, all the various parts of it, were 

 operated upon by more than eighty difiereut in- i 

 dividiials. Most of the machinery irt operation, 

 was invented by the workmen, an evidence that 

 skill couided with practical knowledge, has deci- 

 ded superiority over more scientific attainments. 

 The ap|)earanee of (he whole building is extreme- 

 ly neat and orderly. We premise a more intelli- 

 gent class of men, in the mechanic arts, cannot be 

 found, either in Europe, or in this country.— 

 JSTorlhamplon Cour, 



PnE.tllUms ON SILK akd mvlberkt. 



The Committee of the llamj)sliire, Franklin and 

 Hampilen Agricultural Society offer the following 

 Premiuin? : 



On t!ic greatest quantity of land and the great- 

 est nuird)er of Manilla or Canton morus multicau- 

 lis trees, set thereon, and living Sept. 15, 1837, — 

 .$15, $10, $5. ' 



On ilio grcntcat quuiititv of land and the great- 

 est number of Chinese mulberry or morus multl- 

 caulis, varieties, — $15, 10, 5. 



Oil the greatest number of Manilla or Canton 

 ntorus multicaulis trees, raised from Cuttings, — 

 $15, 10, 5. 



On the greatest number of Manilla or Canton 

 multicaulis layer trees, — §15, 10, 5. 



On the greatest number of trees, the product of 

 Chinese or morus multicaulis seed, sown thoprts- 

 ent year, — $15, 10, 5. 



On the greatest weight of Cocoons, raised in 

 1837,— §5, 4, 3, 2, 1. 



On the greatest length and best hedge for fence, 

 not less than 50 rods, — 5, 4, 3. 



On the greatest number of yellow Locust trees, 

 planted for timber, regard being had to size, thrift 

 and inferiority of soil, — 15, 10, 5. 



Ou the most extensive Nursery for quantity, 

 qtiality and variety of valuable fruit and ornamen- 

 tal trees and choice grapes, — 15, 10, 5. 

 Claims Jor March 1838. 



On the greatest quantity of Raw Silk, the pro- 

 duct of not less than l-4th of an acre of land, ©r 

 what would be more desirable, the juoduct of an 

 acre, or the average of several acres, and the num- 

 ber of trees or cuttings ou the acre — the calcula- 

 tion to be based upon the number of trees or 

 Cuttings from which the foliage shall be gather- 

 ed, — samples of silk to be exhibited at the meet- 

 ing in March 1838, — 5, 4, 2. 



On the greatest quantity of silk reeled in 1837 



