Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-04-13
PLANTING SEEDS.
Paper Number Thrss.
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| Table Beets. The Eclipse lied Turnip.
il easily the b<ss variety for an exlEs esriy
crop, II Is smooth Handsome ,ziobe-shaped
sost with mail top and only . few days
Later than tbs flat Egyptian.
BasGans Early Blood Tarnip. . perhaps
= week later than Eclipse, Of 6ne form and
deep bIaod red collar, grows to . good med
inm size makes fine good keeping winter
beet when planted late and IL in every vsy .
most desirable sort, IL only one variety 10 to
be grown for all purposes this should be
the one. Very Large bets sse not wanted
either for market OF family use the demand
10 for a good shaped, smooth beet running
evenly In size about IS or 50 to the bushel.
and no variety will ill the bill better than
Bastians tarnip.
Yellow Turrtip--This is sveeter than the
red sorts and quite tender, and by some is
preferred to ali otheTs, but popular fancy
Usually calls for red beet.
De~ings improved turnip 10 few days
later and also usually somewhat larger than
either of the proceeding, and 10 = good va
fiety. 49,
Edmands turnip Is the latest in this LIST,
gro~s to good medium size. fesh is Of the
deepest blood red, fine grained and tender.
and il 10 an excellent keeper. will not make
mneh growth except on extra rich mellow
soil.
For an extra early crop plant as soon ss
the ground can be worked. the earlier the
better, provided the soil is in good working
condition. ..
For winter use plant from the middle to
last Of June, have grown a good crop Of
Bastians furnip and Eclipse from seed
planted July 9th, this is later planting, how
ever, than is advisable.
What we usually call beet seed is really
a cluster generally containing from two to
four true seeds, SOW ten or fifteen of these
to foot of row or an ounce to about ie0
feet, in drills Is inches apart and cover an
inch deep, this is about the average depth,
three fourths of an inch is enough for very
early planting and i-2 inches is none too
deep for the latest when the soil is warm
and dry Beets will do well on almost
any rich ground but rather a light soil is
preferable to heavy one.
Carrots-The carrot flourishes best in a
highly enriched and deeply titled sandy soil.
Plant as early as the ground is in good
working condition, in drills Ii inches apart,
cover one fourth to one-half inch deep and
firm the soil well over the seed One ounce
row or about four pounds to the acre.
Very good crops of carrots are sometimes
grown when planted as late as June st,
but at least three or four weeks earlier
seeding is advisable.
Varieties-Early Short Horn or Early
Scarlet Horn, as it is perhaps better known,
is the best for family use; as this is Il very
early sort it should not be planted for win
| n e
Long Orange Is still the favorite sort
with many, but for an all around variety
none will produce more satisfactory crop
than Danyers Half Long Orange. This is an
immense eropper and is of good quality
and nearly or quite all the crop can be
pulled by hand without the use of fork OF
spade, very important matter in harvest
ing.
The White and Yellow Belgian are per-
haps more productive than the preceding
but it is very doubtful if the increased
quantity is sufficient to make up for the
lack in quality. ..
| Ruta Bagas or Swede turnips.
Ru,a bagas will grow ON almost any well
prepared soil, but the finest grained, smooth
hest and best favored roots for table use are
grown on rather light gravelly or sandy
loan. For an early crop plant as early as
the ground can be worked in spring, hut
| for winter use plant from June goth to July
9TH. When circumstances will permit my
own favorite way is about as follows:
| A piece of land in grass having been
| selected the hay is taken off about the first
of July, a heavy dressing of barn manure
is applied and plowed under with a furrow
six to eight inches deep, unleached wood
ashes, the more the better, about -four
| bushels salt and half ton of superphos-
phate to the acre is applied as SUFFICE
dressing and the ground narrowed and
dragged until all is thoroughly incorporated
with the soil to the depth of three or four
inches and fine mellow seed bed is
secured. If any stone, clods or other
| rubbish is on the surface it is removed by
| finishing with steel tooth rakes; the ground
having been plowed in lands about % feet
wide to allow of this rsking being eonven.
niently done. The seed is then planted in
drills "a inches apart for hand culture OF
30 inches apart if a horse is to be used in
the after cultivation. prefer to cover the
seed lightly IA inch deep and firm the soil
well over it by walking lengthwise of each
row after covering. If possible, the pillow
ing, preparation of the soil and seeding is
done the same day, this insures prompt
termination of the seeds and the young
plants get a good start Of any weeds that
follow. An ounce of seed is sufficient fol
about $50 to 800 feet of row.
| Varieties-Improved American. Skir.
wings, and Carriers Imperial are good yellow
purple top varieties not greatly differing
one from the other.
Large White French is in my opinion o!
better table quality than either of the pre-
cedng, it being more solid, of finer tex
ture and sweeter. it is also better keeper
but there is popular notion which is diff
cult to overcome, that yellow ruta baga il
hest, and in growing vegetables, especially
for market. it is quite as important to catel
to the eye as the palate.
| Long Island Improved Purple Top is o.
recent introduction and is without question
the finest yellow ruta baga yet introduced
it grows larger than any of the older vari
cites, is an immense cropper and with pro
per cultivation is uniformly smooth, sole
aud handsome, good table variety and =;
good keeper. Turnips should not follos
turnips or cabbage. +. II. MookRs.
| PITrSroS.