FIELD ROOTS. 20I 



The seed is commonly sown in the raised drills 

 with a machine which deposits the seed in two rows 

 at a time. This machine is drawn by one horse and 

 is furnished with two rollers, each of which fits 

 down over one raised drill and impacts it in advance 

 of the drill spouts, and also with a light roller which 

 runs behind. In some instances it will prove advan- 

 tageous to run a heavy land roller over the drills 

 before and after sowing the seed. When the weather is 

 dry, the more closely the seed drill is made to follow 

 the drill plow the surer will the germination be. 

 When sown in rows on the level, the ground may 

 first be marked out by some kind of marker and 

 sown with a hand drill when the area is not large. 

 But when the area is extensive, the seed should be 

 sown by seed drills adapted to such work. Some 

 kinds of grain drills will sow seeds thus small. With 

 other drills it is necessary to mix the seed with some 

 more bulky substance, as salt or road dust, before 

 using it. But whatever the mode of sowing adopted, 

 the straighter and more uniform the rows the more 

 easily and perfectly can the cultivation be done. 



The variety that should be sown will vary with 

 localities and can only be determined by actual test. 

 The most popular variety of turnips at the present 

 time, especially in the northern and northwestern 

 states, is the Purple Top Strap Leaf. The favorite 

 variety of mangels in the same is the Mammoth 

 Long Red. As rutabagas, sugar beets and carrots 

 are seldom grown as soiling food, it is scarcely neces- 

 sary to add more on the subject of varieties. But 

 in passing, it may be mentioned that much soiling 

 food per acre may be obtained from some of the half 



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