The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-01-04
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Worcester agricultural Society.
REPORT on FARMS.

REPORT on FARMS.
The following are extracts from the Report of
she Committee for the 9Th Agricultural Dis
trict in this County. The length Of the
Report prevents its publication entire. The
Committee consisted Of Gardner Burbank,
Nathan Howe, and Jonas Ball.
We visited with great pleasure the small
we'll cultivated farm Of the Hon. Oliver Fiske,
containing only six acres. Here is found
striking illustration of the position stated in
the outset, that many of our farmers have too
much land, and that little land may make
great farm. There is not nook or corner
OF tAis land that is not occupied with something
either substantial or ornamental. If plant
or hill of corn is destroyed by birds or worms,
this vacancy is not permitted to lie unoccupied,
but is Immediately replenished with the same,
or something is substituted better adapted 10
the season. Doct. Fiske has devoted much
time and attention to fruit-trees of every de-
scription--he has, en- this small piece of land,
nursery Of t,oenty thousand trees, consisting
of apple, pear, peach, plum, and cherry trees,
a great proportion Of which are inoCulated or
ongrafted with the most approved kinds of
fruit. In addition to his nursery, he has 100
appe-trees in a bearing state, all of choice
kinds, with great variety of other rich fruit.
lie also cuts from to 5 tons of hay, raises
about fifteen bushels of corn, from $50 to 400
bushels of the nlangel Wurisel, and great sup
ply of potatoes and otIier garden vegetables,
Tor the use of his family through the year.
His root crop, the mangel wurtzel and sugar
beet particularly, attracted our attention.
After being informed of the e2cellencies Of
these vegetables, the ease with which they
are raised, together with the abundance Of the
crop, we were DESTROYS of having their merits
better understood, and of their being more
generally cultivated by our farmers. With
hope of casting some light on this subject, and
thereby promoting the great interest of agri-
culture, we solicited Doct. Fisl1e TO furnish us
with an account Of his manner of cultivating
these valuable roots. He has kindly complied
with this request, as will appear by the SUBJ
joined letter.
Sc Sir-When the Committee visited my
miniature farm, you expressed a desire that I
would furnish you an account of the manage
ment Of my nangel Wurtsel and sugar beet.
As these roots are but little cultivated in this
section of the country, | willingly impart the
knowledge ! possess respecting them. The
rows of trees in my nursery are FIVE feet asun-
tween them to carrots; but finding the time
ofmy nursery-man too much taken up in tend
ing them, and that the produce did not afford
liberal reward for the labor, Undermined on
this substitute. | plough three burrows be-
tween the rows, the middle one eight inches
deep. This furrow is half filled with iue
compost manure, and the whole surface lev
e,led. make, by line, light furrow or
channel, two inches in depth, with hoe,
and drop the seed, so that the plants shall
stand eight inches apart in a row. After
filling this fnrrow with the mellowest earth,
press the ground to level with the back of
the hoe. If the seed and season are both
good, there will be too many plants in row.
These reduce occasionally, as they impede
each others growth. leaving a surplus TO re-
place such as may be destroyed by worms, or
by other casualties. If carefully taken up
and reset, their growth and productiveness
is but little impaired. When the rows are
repleni.hed, l leave but single one in a
place. The principal care and labor is over
when they are complete in the rows, and
have taken start Of the weeds, which are now
easily subdued. The plants grow up rapidly,
and require no more after attention than corn
in the drill drawing the earth about them,
AS otherwise their roots will he too much a
bove the surface. ] found it necessary, the
past dry season, to give the roots as much COW
ering as could be spared from the trees. The
superiority of this crop over all other vege-
tables have raised, in addition to their nu-
tritive quality, (but little inferior to the car
rot,) consists in the advantage OF both top
and bottom. From the plants you saw, which
might be cultivated on one fourth of an acre
of ground, have soiled and principally fat
tened one OK in my barn, and kept, with
ohals OF the kitchen, six swine in thriving con-
dition. For some weeks, four bushels Of SUI
perluous leaves were gathered from them dali
ly. The prodhce in roots snot yet ascertain
ed; it will be great The advantage of this
vegetable in season like the past, when pas
turing fails, is most important. 1t affords val
liable nourishment for cows, and improves
the milk. The season for planting the seed,
II tile land is sufficiently warm and dry, il, |
am told, about the middle Of April. My seed
was not obtained until the first week in MAY.
II was my intention TO have sowed the whole
ground with mangel wurtzel-but my seed
was exhausted on one half. For the purpose
OF obtaining further supply, as it was not to
be had otherwise, visited Mr. Prince. of
Hoxbury, who remarked that the sugar beet.
though less productive, was decidedly best
for nutriment, and retained its good Qualities
much later ia tho Spring. With this recon.
mendation, he kindly furnished me with this
seed, which | planted about the yf,;ddl. nc I