326 [Assembly 



the land allowed to remain without further tillage until the time 

 of drilling th • seed in April or May, when a tine or two of the 

 grubber and harrows may be of strvice in loosening and levelling 

 the surface soil. Upon all tolerably free-worliing suils we would 

 adojit the ridge or common drill system of growing turnips, ap- 

 plying a good dressing of farm-yard dung, and from one to two 

 hundred pounds weight of guano or superphosphate of lime, 

 sown broadcast previously to splitting the drills upon the dung. 

 Upon land prepared in this way, in April or May, we drill about 

 four pounds weight of seed, which is covered in .rather deeper 

 than turnips, by having a light roller to follow the drill. The 

 future cultivation by horse and hand hoeing does not dilfer much 

 from the turnip, though more attention is required in singling 

 the plants ; and upon rich soils, when the roots may reasonably 

 be expected of a large size, the young plants must of course be 

 singled out at proportionally wider intervals. A deficient plant 

 may be filled up with transplanted cabbages or swedes, or if this 

 be thought too expensive, the less costly, though less advisable 

 plan may be adopted of drilling the ridges over again fur swedes 

 or common turnips. In October or early in November, previously 

 to the frost setting in, (which will injure the roots very much,) 

 the crop will be ready to store, and dry weather must be chosen 

 for the work. Considerable attention is required to secure the 

 crop in first rate condition. With us the three or h ur days of 

 beet harvest is deerai d of equal importance as the busiest time 

 of corn-harvest, and it is a season of equal activity. Five or six 

 men or women are employed in pulling the roots, twistii;g off the 

 leaves, and laying each in small heaps for filling into carts, to be 

 removed to the storing heap, which is generally conveniently 

 placed fi)r the homestead. The roots are stacked in a ridgelike 

 heap, having a base of about five feet. This is fiist covered with 

 a good coating of straw, and then with a layer of soil. In this 

 manner the roots are kept from the frost and keep sound through- 

 out the winter. In the spring the heap requires looking to, as 

 violent heating, consequent on the vegetation of the young shoots, 

 may come on, and be succeeded by a rapid decay of the roots; 

 but nothing but common attention in removing the soil from the 

 heaps is required to prevent this; and in many instances, when 



