The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-02-06

y In
to the Corresponding Secretary of the
Worcester agricultural Society.
The subscriber becs leave to submit hi,
claim,to the Premium offered by the Trustees
OF the Worcester Agricultural Society, for the
cultivation OF the Swedish Turnip or Ruta
Baga
In the spring Of the year 1870, / caused a.
plat OF grass sward, whichhad not been plough
ed for more than 90 years, to be broken up.
On this about ten loads of manure from tbe-
heap was spread to the acre, ana the land wa.
seasohably cross-pioughe6 and narrowed. Al
'ttr iurrowing in the usual manner for cornsin
hills, 10 loads of compost manure to the acre
was put into the angles of the burrows. and the
corn planted upon the manure, which was af-
forwards hood and titled in the customary way.
and an average crop obtained in the fall. The
soil was deep loan, and became mellow by
the tillage of the season. In the month Of
May, OF the present year, the ground was
ploughed, and a portion at one end of the
Held containing l22 rods, being 10 rods by l2,-
was reserved for Turnips. About the Goth of
June this ground had o loads of compost ma
nHTe spread over 1t, and was again ploughed.
On the 26th it was furrowef in rows % feet
apart, and II cart-loads more of compost we're
n.
each side was turned with horse.piough up
on the manure in such manner as TO form a
ridge over it, and upon the ridge the seed was
sown from drill machine of the form and gen.
eral appearance of light wheelbarrow with
the use of which was obliged by the kindness
of Stephen Williams, Esq. The plants came
up very uniformly but much too ihick,. being
not more than II oy2 inches apart. The seed
had been used at the rate of II pounds to the
acre, when half that quantity would have been,
sufficient. The plants were hoed on the 2ist
July and again early in August. In some Of
the first days of September they were again
hoed and thinned out. The plants which,
were pulled had attained considerable size.
and were carted off and fed to- swine. On the
lst and I'd OF November the Tunips were har-
vested, and the crop produced on the ground,
containing Of an acre aud two rods, was 45s-
bushels. An average load of SO bushels was
weighed and found to amount to Is cwt. and,
8 qrs. gross, or 1865 lbs. nett. The land be-
ing precise parallclogran, was not surveyed
by a SlooTn Surveyor. but the chain was accu-
rately applied, and the length and breadth as
certained according to the annexed certificate.
The expense of cultivation was as follows -
1st ploughing, one yoke of oxen, plough, and
man, three quarters Of day.
Cd ploughing and borrowings, one yoke Of
oxen, plough, harrow, and man, one day.
FSrrowins, horse, man, andboy, with plough,
three hours.
Getting out and distributing manure, one yoke,
of oxen, cart, and two men, one day.
Sowing seed, one man, with the drill machines.
half day.
First hoe;ng, three days work.
Second hoeins, two days work..
Third hocing and thipning out plants, four
days work.
Harvesting, four days work, and cart and OK
en-, one day
The plants pulled out were probably worth
for the swine and as manure the expense Of
thinning them. No use was made of the tops
cut in harvesting. The ground has since been
ploughed, and is found to be mellow and in
the best order to lay to grass the next season.
Although the seasonwas dry, and nncomlnonly
unfavourable for turnips, the product was the
most valuable, according to expense, of any
obtained from the farm. The use of this Tur-
nip for cattle, and especially fer sheep, is, in
my opinion, of decided advantage to the FARM;
err; and it is a subject of regret that the root
is not more extensively cultivated.
LEVI LINCOLN.
Worcester, Dec. /, 1921.