Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-05-07

HOW 70 RAISE CARROTS.

Few doubt the value Of carrots, and
more would raise them did they not con-
slider the labor too great. That they re-
quire more labor per acre than potatoes
or corn, do not deny, but claim that q
dollars worth of carrots can be raised for
far less than a dollars worth Of corn. Too
often farmers endeavor to see how much
land they can spread their labor over, In
stead OF trying to make that labor produce
maximum crops on smaller area. I'M
dertake no more than you can do well.
Begin every new thing on a small scale,
and learn by experience before You dip
deeper. Particularly should this rule be
observed in regard to carrots, tor small
amount ofignorance or neglect, that would
not materially. injure corn or potatoes,
would ruin your prospect for a carrot
crop.
! select piece of light soil as free from
weeds and stones as can find, and thor
oughly plough it as deep as possible.
Then with double mould-board plough
throw up ridges two feet apart, keeping
them perfectly straight and parallel by
means OF chain attachment similar to
that on Harrington drill. Into the fur
row scatter rotten manure about two In.
ches deep. and with the same plough turn
the earth upon it. In case the ground il
rich, or have an abundance Of manure,
| spread it before ploughing, and dispense
with il in the burrows, which makes less L.
Dor. / next attach horse to the cultivator
rake and run 1t between every two ridges.
which in once passing, thoroughly fines
and removes the Jumps from them.
Be sure your seed is fresh. Inow mix
my seed with small quantity Of long
scarlet radish seed, put 1t in my drill and
SOW it directly on top of the ridges as
straight as possible. lay great stress up.
on the Importance of straight and parallel
rows, as upon this depends much Of the
economy of cultivation. prefer to SOW
by the first of May rather than later, as
the seed. though slower to germinats, j.
surer, for should it be hot and dry when
the young plants appear, they will surely
be destroyed. In about q week the ap-
pearance Of the radishes will show the
lines ofthe rows. Now, adjust my cultiva-
tor rake so that it will run within a half-inch
of the rows. and run it through them,
finishing row at each passing. As soon
as the radshes are large enough for
market, l pull them. and thin the carrots
ito three or four inches apart, pulling all
weeds in the rows. Should the ground
become hard, run a one horse subsoil
plough between them. Whenever the
weeds begin to appear, run the cultiva-
tor rake between them.
Before obtained the cultivator rake, 1
did the work it now does with steel-toothed
hand-rakes, but find that one man and
horse with 1t can do as much work as ten
men with hand-rakes. About November
l, l take sharp hoe and cut off the tops,
taking two rows at a time. and drawing
the tops together. remove them. Now !
take large two-horse plough, and begin
ming in the middle and ploughing in the
direction of the rows. back-furrow the
piece, ploughing two burrows to each
ridge. Two men follow the plough and
throw the carrots upon the back-furrow in
long windrow. They are then covered
with the tops, and allowed to remain .
few days, when they are either taken to
market or the cellar. In this way have
raised upon small patch at the rate of
1900 bushels per acre, but generally from
600 to 800. The expense Of raising car
rots in this way does not exceed ten cents
per bushel, and they readily sell for from
forty to sixty cents. raised parsnips in
the same way. Beets harvest by pulling
and topping. Turnips l sow later. top
with hoe and and pull with potato hooks.
propose to try to turn them out next fall
with a potato-digging plough.-Co"nsry
Gentleman