Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-03-11
Carrots for Stock.
Chicago Times.

During the past few years there has
been quite large demand for carrots
for feeding to horses in this city, and
the demand for them is said to be in
creasing. The proprietors of omni-
bus linss are the most liberal purchas-
ers. though many are bought by the
owners of dray horses. Farmers in
the vicinity of the city have received
during the past few months SO per
ton for good carrots delivered at sta
bles. Carload lots raised In Wiscon-
sin have sold at rom Sc to 81 per ton.
AS rule parties who buy carrots do
not like to 60 to the trouble of moving
them from railway stations to their
stables. The average crop is about
sixteen tons to the acre, though as
high as twenty tons have been re-
ported. Farmers should,be satisfied
with a crop that pays from $3.50 to
5000 per acre, and the production of
which does not njure the soil. even if
it calls for considerable hard work.
It is doubted if the costly land near
large cities can be devoted to any
crop that will pay as well as carrots.
During the season Of wedding and
thinning considerable hard work is re-
quiree, but this can be done by women
and children, whose labor can be OBJ
tanned at low rates.
Probably carrots are the most profit
able roots that can be raised for feed
ing stock in most parts of this coun-
try. Our climate is not so favorable
as that of the British islands, and
some of the countries on the CONT
nent of Europe for producing mang-
les and turnips. AS these roots grow
mostly out of ground, they are likely
to become hard and tough during hot
and dry weather. The yield of them
will be small and the quality poor if
a protracted drought occurs during the
summer. Carrots receive less injury
from the sun and the occurrence of
drought than beets and surnips do, as
their roots are entirely coverd by the
soil, while their leaves are close to the
surface OF the ground. Mangels and
Swedish, or rutabaga, turnips are SO
large that it is generally necessary to
cut them into small pieces Or to pulp
them before the animals will eat
them. It is tedious to do this work
by hand, Or even by the use OF ma
chine operated by man power. There
are power machines for cutting and
for pulping these roots, out they are
expensive, and are not adapted to the
use of people who keep but few ami
mails. AS carrots are smaller and
more tender, horses, COWS and sheep
can eat them if they are fed to them
as they are taken from the ground.
Carrots require long time ip which
to grow. The seed should be sown in
May, and as early in the month as the
condition of the ground will admit.
To get as large crop as possible, the
rows should not be more than two
feet apart. This will allow narrow
cultivator to pass between them.
About four pounds of seed are requir-
ed for an acre. The long orange vari-
ETY. is the most productive, though the
roots, being quite long, are not easily
pulled from the ground. The early
French horn, or ''half-long stump
root" variety is easy to pull, but not
as productive. The land intended
for the production of carrots should
be fairly drv, deeply plowed and fine
ly pulverized. It should be rich, but
green manure or that containing the
seeds of weeds or grass should not be
applied to it. Old and well rotted
stable manure is the best fertilizer. 1t
should be finely pulverized and well
distributed through the soil. It is
well to drop q few radish, turnip or
cabbage seed in the row with the car
rot seed. They will all come up In
few days.. Mark the rows and allow
the ground to be worked between
them. The plants, after they have
made considerable root, should be thin
ned so they will be from five to six
inches apart.