Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1879 — Carrots As a Field Crop. [ARTICLE]

Carrots As a Field Crop.

Root crops have never received the attention in this country that they have abroad, for many reasons. We have not as yet found it necessary to kedp a large amount of stock on the produce of a small area of land. Com is so cheaply raised that most farmers rely on it for fattening nearly all kinds of stock. Labor is comparatively high, and all root crops requires considerable hand labor. We are generally averse to any sort of crop that cannot be raised by the use of implements operated by horse-power, and no machine has been contrived that will weed and thin out roots raised in a drill. The climate in most parts of the country is not very favorable to the production of those kinds of roots raised in the greatest abundance in Great Britain and other European countries. Tolerably cool and moderately moist weather is most favorable to the growth of turnips, and our summers are ordinarily very hot and dry. Sugar beets do very well in most parts of this countty; but the varieties of beets that are grown for stock purposes abroad are likely to become hard and stringy when exposed to the heat that prevails during July and August. Roots that grow entirely under ground are likely to do best in a country where the summers are as dry and hot as they generally are here. By being below the surface and having tops that spread over the ground they are protected from the rays of the sun, and suffer comparatively little from a protracted drouth. The carrot is admirably adapted to thrive in our climate. The root does not rise above the surface of the ground, while its numerous thick leaves serve to protect the soil from the burning rays of the sun. For these reasons tne carrot suffers less from the drouth than almost any root raised for stock food. As a con-

sequence its growth is continuous from the time the seed germinates till the frost kills the tops. Carrots will be crisp and tender, although turnips and beets grown beside them will be tough and stringy. The carrot has many other points of excellence. It is more nutritious than any root ordinarily grown for feeding to stock. It is also relished by some kinds of animals. Horses and hogs will generally decline turnips and beets, but they are fond of carrots. An occasion al feed of carrots has an excellent effect on horses, improving their digestion and imparting a fine gloss to them hair. Sheep prefer carrots to any kind of roots or tubers. Carrots are sufficiently sweet to make them acceptable to young animals. Carrots are the best roots to feed to milch cows. They tend to increase the production of milk and impart a rich color to it as well as to the butter and cheese that are manufactured from it. Turnips give a bad i flavor to milk, but carrots do not; turnips are hard to digest, but carrots are easily digested. Turnips and beets, on Account of their larger size and peculiar shape, have to be cut before they are fed to stock, but most animals have no difficulty in disposing of whole carrots and are rarely choked by them. In some European countries* carrots are extensively used for feeding to poultry. They are generally steamea or boiled before they are given to the fowls. When they are designed for fattening poultry they are often fried in sheep fat ’, after they are softened by steaming or boiling. With suitable soil and clean culture a thousand bushels of carrots may be raised on one acre of ground. They are easily harvested with a spade or fork or by the aid of a plow. After they are taken from the ground they should be thrown in rows on the surface of the ground to dry. In doing this work let the tops lie toward the row that is being harvested out two or three feet distant from it. In digging the next tow throw the roots on the tops of those previously dug and 8o continue till as many are taken out as can be topped and stowed away «n'-.that - day. Carrots are much easier to harvest thau turnips or beets, as they are so smooth that little or no earth adheres to them, while they are generally in bunches to be trimmed off. Although the roots are entirely under ground, they are readily withdrawn from it, owing to their peculiar shape. . Most of the trouble required to raise a crop of carrots results from the slow’ v germination of the seed; When sown m soil abounding in the seeds of weeds, much difficulty is experienced in cleaning the drills after the young plants appear above ground. To make this work as light as possible, carrots should be sown on soil quite clear of weeds. A piece of old pasture land is excellent for carrots, as it is generally sufficiently rich, while it is not likely to be infested with weeds. Rank manures are not suitable for carrots, as they cause them to be forked, while they tend to produce a large growth of tops. If any stable manure is applied it should be ~ well rotted. Wood ashes and salt are good fertilizers for carrots. For field culture carrots should be sown in drills about three feet apart, so as to allow a. cultivator to be run between them. They should be as straight as possible, so that the cidtivator can run close to the plants and still not tear out any of them. In sowing the seed it is best to dash a few radish seed or oats in the drills, as they will come up in a few days and mark ‘ tbe rows. . Some persons soak carrot seed in tepid water before sowing it, and others place it in a bag and bury it in moist earth, allowing it to remain two or three weeks before it is Bown. When treated in either of these ways it will come up much quicker than when sown in a dry state. About five pounds of seed are required to sow an acre in carrotA This crop is not liable to be injured by Insects in any stage of its growth. The' hand-weed-ing and thinning, which may be done at the same time, call, however, for considerable work. —Chicago Times. -