Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-05-11

Poweiton, November %, 1882
Philadelphia County.
DEAN SIR,
enclose certificates showing that six
teen hundred and ih.rty~tour bushels Of
Manse! Wurtzel, Weighing seventy
eight thousand four hundred and iorty-
eight pounds, were produced al Powell
ton, upon one &C. c and fourteen perches
OF farm land, accurately measured by a
regular surveyor.
selected parallelogram, containing
thirteen contiguous rows, which were
drawn, and measured in my presence, to
ascertain The largest quantity which had
grown upon the richest part OF the field.
One hundred and forty baskets,
equal to one hundred and seventy-iour
bushels, were produced upon thirteen
and an half perChes, al the rate Of two
thousand aud slXty-tive bushels per acre,
weighing "A tons, cwl qrs. 81 lbs.
| am satisfied hat the account of my
farmer is correct, and as the roofs had
been drawn ten days, had been closely
cut beneath the crowns, were dry, and
entirely free from dirt, both the mea-
surement by the basket, and the estimate
by weight, mus, be fair. II barrel had
been used, or any other large vessel, OF
similar shane, The crop would appear
greater, as the measure would not have
been so often filled, and consequently
not so often heaped.
MIR. Minor, the Recording Secretary,
was good enough TO superintepd the
measurement OF the basket, and saw tie
manner in which it was filed.
submit to you, the shingles contain
ing The original scores, and refer you 10
him, for corroboratlon of the facts. 1t
may be well TO state, that however large
this crop may appear, in England
larger product has been Obtained.
My soil was not naturally strong; it
has been gradually SO much deepene
as TO enable me, with Woods plough,
No. g. drawn by four oxen, to plough
fouileen inches deep. Fresh oarn-yard
manure, was equally spread upon the
surface, and ploughed under in the early
part Of April, IN Quantities not larger
than are usually applied to potato crops
in this county. Early in May the land
was twice stirred with Bea,son's scarifi-
er--harrow roiied-aer stirred
narrowed and rolled again in the oppo
site direction. The holes ior the seeds,
were made by wheel containing pegs
in its circumference, which penetrated
the ground about an CHI, leaving inter-
vas of four inches-the rows were made
two feet asunder--tWo capsules were
dropped mo each hole--the wheel oil
common barrow was passed over them,
thus COMPRISING the earth, and leaving
q slight rot, Tor the retention OF the mois-
ture.
A small cultivator which contrived
for the purpose, was drawn between the
rows soon after the weeps appeared;
three inch triangular hoe removed the
alternate plants, leaving the others at
distances, varying from eight to twelve
inches asundcr. The cultvator was
twice used before the 2O,h of July. The
heavy rains OF August made another
hoeing necessary, and surcharged the
ground so much with moisture, tn al roots
increased much less in that month, than
they mad grown during the same time,
in the two last years.
In order to convey an idea OF Man
gel Wurtzel crop, to some OF the mem-
bers, who are not acquainted with It's
usual product, il may not be improper
, to state, that three-tourths OF the root
extend above the ground-that last
year obtained one which at Mr.. Lam
dreth's shop weighed some days after it
was drawn, IL ID. 10 OF.
this year desired smaller roots which
might grow so closely, as by their leaves,
to protect the soil, as much as possible,
from the exhalations of the sun. My
cultivator, by its peculiar form. enabled
me to cut off the weeds when the plants
were SO young tina, # had applied the
plough, their crowns must have been
covered in many instances, by earth,
which occasionally falls from us land
side. The failure, which attends the
cultivation of most root crops in drills,
proceeds from the neglect OF weeds IN
their early stages. Four or five days OF
delay, Frequently make the difference Of
fifteen days in the labor OF making clean
an acre OF ground. The same weeds
which boy with a sharp shingle, could
remove at the commencement Of one