40 



On the RacJcheath Sub- Turf Plough. 



are also to be employed, each with a basket, to take away the 

 filled baskets, to replace those filled with empty baskets, and to 

 carry the filled baskets to the carts prepared for their reception. 



Hard frosts have commenced very early this season; but by 

 this plough, and the gatherers above stated, I have been enabled 

 to clear 1 J acre of land each day, and to secure the potatoes from 

 the effects of the frost; of the great saving in the expense of 

 getting I say nothing, as every potato-grower can calculate that. 



I am. Sir, yours, &c. 



E. Stracey. 



Rackheath Hall^ near Norwich^ 

 30th Nov., 1840. 



IV.~072 the White or Belgian Carrot By John C. 

 Morton, Esq. 



To Ph. Pusey, Esq., M.P. 



Sir, 



I AM desired by my father to send to you the particulars of the 

 crop of white or Belgian carrots on Lord Ducie's farm at Whit- 

 field. The extent of the piece is 1 acre, 36 perches, from which 

 64 cart-loads of roots were taken. The average weight of a cart- 

 load was found to be 10 cwt. This gives 32 tons as the total 

 weight of the crop, which is at the rate of 26 tons 3 cwt. 

 per acre. The soil is a deep, sandy loam, belonging to the new 

 red sandstone formation. 



This is a heavier crop than any other on the farm. The seed 

 was sown in the second week in April, on land which had been 

 ploughed 10 inches deep. It was sown on the flat, in rows 18 

 inches apart, by the common Suffolk drill. The seed had been 

 mingled with damp sand for several days previous, as well to 

 sprout it partially, as to render it capable of being drilled, as 

 carrot-seed clings so much together. They are singled out when a 

 fortnight old to intervals of 6 inches in the row, and two horse- 

 hoeings, with a hand-hoeing whenever the weeds made their 

 appearance, was all the cultivation they received. 



The result is a crop not only much more valuable per ton than 

 any other green crop we have, but also heavier per acre, and 

 raised at an expense less by at least one-half than that attending 

 the cultivation of the turnip. 



The crop on the land the year before was Swedes, which were 



