Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-05-28
agricultural.
The Culture of Carrots.

A writer in the Country Gentleman says ::
&c Carrots, among other root crops, occupy
similar place to that Of the best quality of
white wheat among the red and amber varie-
ties # winter and spring wheat. Those able
and willing to pay for the best get the white
wheat, but the ,ss of the people are con-
tent wIrh the more common and cheap varie-
ties. s. with roots. Those who only wish
to Iced stock ID general way, with Lo spe-
cial object beyond furnishing them with
certain amount OF green, succulent food while
they are on dry fodder, will raise mang0ld
wuIzels and turnips for this purpose. But
the more particular farmer, who takes pride
in making a choice article of batter in the
winter or spring, when bis CO VS. must De
kept on dry feed, will have good supply of
orange carrots. Good cornstalks, cut up
early at the ground ana we'll saved, retain
their bright green cJlor when dry enough {
store away and feed - good cows aud with
plenty of orange carrDts will make good but
ter in the winter. Carrots are also excellent
to keep mich cows in good. healthy, thry-
Ing condition, and also for horses. Farmers
and others who admire foe horses, keep iIh
priced animals, and find it to their interest
to guard such animals carefully against dis
ease, will also do we'll to have good supply
of carrots to feed with other food. Carrots
are also the best roots for calves, as they
promote digestion and make the hay and
other feed do them more good than would
9th, rwlse be secured. Hence | think that
careful ambitious farmers, who 90 for the best
in whatever they try, should Ialse plenty OF
carrots.
LAS to soil and culture, Burr's directions
are very good. He says:
The carrot q JurlsneS best in good, light .
thor oh.
OF situations, heavy and wet soil chou d BE-
avoided AMI where extremes are aternr-
tives, preference should b. gwen to the light
and dry. 1t possible, the ground should be
stirred to the depth OF twelve or fifteen inches,
incorporating liberal application OF well
dIgesIed compost, and well pulveizing the
soil in the operation. The surface should
next be levelied, cleare as much as possible
OF stones and hard Jumps Of earth. and IN tde
mellow and irlable. In wblc State, II the
ground contains sufficient mo Isture to color
the surface when it is stirred, 1t ill be read Y
f,r tho seed This may be sown from the
1st of April to the Goth OF May but early
sowiDgs succeed best
L" o this | may add that a good, clean
clover sod, with very little grass or bad weeds,
makes a go)d preparation for carrots. The
clover roots run deep, and help to make the
soil foe and mellow, while the clover, roots
and all, soon rot and furnish food for the
young carrots. 1t also appears that sucI
clover land is much less Likely to be infested
with the annual weeds which Ike 50 we'll tt
grow with carrots. Still this depends t,
some extent on previous cultivatlon 50 1t
land should be used Tor carrots, whether or
a clover sod or ON land we'll hoed the pre-
vIous year, which has not been kept reason
oblu olaan for severaI vaars he land !
very mellow, little care may be needed t
AVOID sowing the seed too deep, as caro-
seed sometimes fails il s0wn deep and s0o
alter followed with a heavy storm, whIcl
beats down the ground ard makes it har
and crusty. If sOwn with drill, the see
should be Gle IN and rubbed smooth, t
secure good delivery, and a uniform stan
of plants 10 the rows. The rows should b
good dstar &c apart, 50 that, if there is al
amount a horse can be used. Those VIII
condemn carrots as requiring too much work
very generally make the rows too close to
gether.
"HoeiDg carrots is not the everlasting 10
that many think, if the management Is d
right Ii the rows are close together, sa
fourteen or fifteen inches, and the land ratl {
hard and weedy, and the crop is neglecte
until the weeds are several incnes hisu, it
beElOus JOD. Dui mdke Tic IONe tWtUt'
four to tWenty-eight inche apart, and mai
them very straight; then hoe as soon as I'll
plant beglus to show the rough leaf, using
new, sharp hoe. with the corners standn
out we'll hoe to the line on both sides, lea'
ing very narrow low of plants, taking OF
part of thuse standing wherever they Il
thick. and using the corner of the hoe to tai
out any weei5 seen in this narrow lire
plants, and it is not d f ;ult t. hoe carrot
| have Of en- hOed for hours and made the
clean, with 'ut taking my Fl Igers to pull
single weed. | also thin carrots this wa
taking out the aots that are not needed /
| would weeds, and o course MT being
particular l would be with beets al
turnips. TIL first hoeng is the worst; a /
this, and by freely using horse, they M
be attended to with comparatively lit
trouble.
the best varieties for field culture a
the long orange and the white Belgian.
regard To these TWO, Burr says;
80 The long orange is more cultivated
this country Tor agricultural purposes tn
all other varieties. With respect to it's val
for stock. its great proiuctlveness, and
keeping properties, It Is considered the be
OF all sorts Tor field culture. A well-enrich
soil will yield from six to eight hundr
90 The white Belgian carrot is remark /
for its productive ness, surprising in this
spect all other varieties, and exceeding t
long orange by nearly one-fourth. IL Can
harvested with great facility, aud give.
good return even on poor soils. 1t is Iare
and longer than other varieties, and gro
several inches abIve the surface. 1t is gro,
almost exclusively for feeding stock, aud
considered less valuable than the yello
hesned sorts, because less nutritious, a
more liable to decay during winter
Two more good varieties are the 10
red Belgian and the long yellow. Burr Sd
the long red Belgian, ike the white, ori
mated In Belgium. In Europe it Is mu
esteemed by agriculturists, and is PREFER
to the white Belgian, a, 1t is not only neal
as productive, but has none or It's defec
The long yellow is very productive, yleldl
nearly the same quantity to the acre as
long orange. which variety 1t much resemb
In It's general character, and with which i,
frequently, to greater or less extent, int
mixed.'
FLoRIeULTURE.-All lovers OF flowers m
remem' er that one blossom allowed to matt
or go to seed " Injuries the plant more tt
dozen new buds. Cut your flowers tn
all OF them, before they begin to fade. Ado