Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-04-17
Culture Of Carrots,

A new subscriber asks for informa.
Glon on the manner of planting and
cult1vating the carrot. If we were to
prescribe any one requisite more i'm
portant than all others, we should saw.
the utter determination of weeds be.
fore they reach half an inch in height.
A successful cultivator informs US that
he has entirely eradicated weeds from
his carrot ground by constant care
for several years, the labor of cultiva.
ting has not been one-fourth, and he
thinks not more than one-eighth the
amount required when first started.
and his product is frequently a thous,
and bushels per acre. The next thing
Is deep blowing, unless the soil hap,
pens to be naturally deep and loose.
A double Michigan pillow used by in
verting clover sod to depth Of about
one foot makes an excellent prepare.
ton. Flowing only five or six inches
deep, with hard earth below, will
end in greater or less failure. The
seed should be sown in drills about
twenty-eight inches apart, and the
plants thinned out to about three and
half inches in the row. If nearer,
they will crowd each other, and di-
minish the crop, and if much further
there will be loss by fewness OF mum
Der. In our own experience, we have
found saving of labor by planting
vu small ridges, made by one horse
pillow. These protected the row of
plants from the cultiyator at its first
passing, and left small, narrow ridge
about two inches high, which was hoed
and thinned out with much greaterra-
pidity than when planted on a level
surface. The hoe employed had its
blade set at nearly right angles with
the handle, and was thus used both
with thrusting and drawing motion
accomplishing nearly twice as much
with the same labor, as by means Ola
hoe with a common inclined blade
which could be used only with a draw
ing motion. Objection is sometimes
made to ridges, on the ground of being
more liable to injury by drouth, but if
the soil is deep, loose and mellow, this
difficulty will be very slight, even in
dry seasons, especially with the small
ridges made with one horse plow.
One of the most successful carrot
raisers in the country, makes it
rule to cultivate and hoe his crop
soon as the first points of the young
plants appear through the soil, and be-
fore they are half an inch high. In
this way, the labor of destroying the
weeds and keeping the ground as clean
| as a floor and mellow as an ash heap,
is many times lessened. He finds
nothing equal to fine tooth harrow,
lust wide enough to run between the
rows. The cultivation should be con
3 stantly kept up as long as the grow
ing plants allow room. If cultlva
tor could be made so as to take two
!, or three rows at once, the work could
l be done more easily and rapidly, and
there would be greater certainty Of its
r being frequently repeated.
S In our own experience, we find a
i copious use of manure, either applie3
in previous years, or thoroughly dI.
/ fused, to have a telling effect on the
/ amount of the crop. Some have ab
Q jeetod to rnnoh fresh mannrn nrn
4 ducing too great growth of top AM
: not enough of root. But if old man
: ure or compost be thoroughly inter
mixed, this objection will be removed
e except it may be on some peculia
q soils.
D The best way for harvesting thu
o roots is to pillow away from each row
: running as near the roots as possible
$ and then draw them out by hand
e Use a side-hill pillow for this purpose
so as to throw the earth in the SAINT
/. direction from each successive row
which keeps the plowed earth all OF
one side, and the smooth, untouche'
$ surface on the other The pillow SHOULD
I 4 be drawn by good team, and rm
u nearly a foot deep at single passing
/ which will not be difficult in deep
, well mellowed earth. 1t is neccess
: airy to employ one man to drive thC
: horses, while a second holds the pillow
Il and gives his undivided attention t
. running as near as possible to tn
{ carrots without cutting them.-Agri
J cutturiSt.
NEW YORK. AnriI 11-An OttaM,