Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-03-29

can grow good crop Of rutabagas.
New broken soil. III properly cult
waited. clover sod plowed In fall or
spring Is excellent. II some manure
is added to either. so much the better.
2. PREPARATION. Fall blowing
II preferable: coat of manure
spread from first class manure
spreader. disked or narrowed i'm early
spring will increase the yield In pro-
portion to the amount applied. Ere
quent disking or dragging during
spring up to the seeding time viii
cause seed OF weeds to sprout and
be destroyed before planting time,
and bring the seed bed In an excel
lent condition. These frequent stir
ings of the top soil, breaking the
crusts after each rain and making q
dust mulch on it, will, better than
anything else. help to retain the
moisture.
3. Planting the Seed
A. HOW. The Planet, Jr., No. 3
or 6 hand seed drill Is the best plant
er for rutabagas In this locality ]
have seen yet. have tried to plant
the seed on different distances be-
tween rows and have come to the
conclusion that 30 inches comes
nearer to being the ideal than any
other | have tried. Using about
lbs. of seed to the acre will give a
good stand. and do not believe much
less will give satisfaction; many ex-
perienced growers prefer lbs. to
the acre. Be sure to plant rows
straight, with equal distance between
them. that will enable you to cult
vate intelligently with a one-horse
cultivator. If the distance between
the rows vary we are apt to tear up
plants where 1t Is too narrow be-
tween the rows, and where the rows
are too far apart we can't get close
ttiohEll w tit ptaiilS " euh TIC
crust and kin all the weeds.
b. WHEN. In a general way only
the middle of June, and where condi.
tions are exceptionally favorable up &c
the middle Of July. | think it Is @
good plan to divide the planting. II
several acres are to- be cultivated
from June list to 25th. thereby dis.
tributing the labor of thinning over O
| longer period Rutabagas planted
very early have IA tendency to grow &
long neck or stem, often from 6 to II
| inches long. A long neck indicates
| a tough. fibrous root with rela
lively low feeding value and which
| Is unfit for market. Such roots
| should not be mixed with marketable
rutabagas, even If they can be
| trimmed to perfection. When the
ground has been well prepared, finel,
pulverized on top. drag II over witt
a plank before seeding. this will he'll
you to plant the rows straight a
even distances, and the seed shoult
sprout In from > to 1 days.
4. CULTIVATION should begin :
| few days after seed Is planted ant
kept up regularly once a week. 4
possible. to keep the plants growing
We all know. IL Is fatal to the hes
development OF little pig. If h,
gets stunted once. and so il Is fol
the rutabaga plant. 1t will not alon,
lower the quantity from an acre. bu
also the quality. A field of rutabaga'
not given proper cultivation Is liahl,
to get stunted in hot dry spell. from
lack of moisture, and after such
setback, the nature of this plant il
to develop a long neck. really an at
tempt to run to seed. and the result
is the development of a fihrous an,
tough root.
S. THINNING. When the plantr
have developed their third to fftl
leaf or before they get crowded an,
strangled take n common garden no,
and cut across the row, After a few
days experience you will be able t,
cut them out So only one or tw,
plants are left in each hill or block
This operation performs all the hant
wedding needed the whole season. i
IL is done right, except that littl,
hill or block, which is to be thinnet
by hand. Inside OF a few days afteI
the hoeing. the thinning should be don,
ut the right time in the development
of the plant. and IL other work pre-
vents us from tending to that worl
in time, nothing will pay us better
than to hire the work done. prefer
able rs piece work. even If We hav,
to pay good stiff price. II we cal
only have it done i'm time, we vii
gain by II. Hire your own boys an,
girls to do IL; let them try. If the,
Ia 90 Al