'HE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



129 



THE PULPING OF R O O T S — IT S TRUE USE, 



The modern system of reducing roots to a line pulp 

 before being given to stock for consumption, Las now 

 become general. It tlierefore behoves every stock- 

 master to look closely into the subject, in order to as- 

 certain its comparative advantages, and the best mode 

 of preparing the food. It is unquestionably an expen- 

 sive process, and the return of profit ought to be com- 

 mensurate. I think to pulp roots for every kind of stock 

 would not pay ; but selections of stock may be made 

 upon every man's farm, that would admirably answer 

 for the additional outlay. So far as I have been able 

 to ascertain the results of the pulping system, it is some- 

 thing like the following : All kinds of stock, includ- 

 ing horses, are benefited by consuming this pulped 

 food, as compared with it in any other state. Horses 

 are more advantaged by using it in a fresh state, mixed 

 with chaff. Cattle should have it administered in a 

 slightly fermented state, and mixed with chaff, which is 

 to be thoroughly incorporated and saturated with the 

 juices or watery particles of the pulp. Sheep and 

 lambs require its being divested of those watery particles 

 as much as possible ; hence the very process of pulping 

 is desirable for this purpose, and then it should be thinly 

 spresid over a floor for a few hours, to promote evapora- 

 tion. Pigs eat it readily, and in its fresh state, mixed 

 with meal, to great advantage. Poultry prefer it fresh. 

 Calves and young cattle should have it evaporated awhile, 

 and then mixed with hay-chaff. These are the plain 

 facts. Now let us look into the various methods of pre- 

 paring the pulped food. 



First, as food for horses. — The great danger in the ad- 

 ministration of this food arises in the excessive quantity 

 of water of which the mangold and turnip are com- 

 posed; but particularly the former. In preparing it 

 fot horses, a convenient floor should be appropriated ; 

 the pulped roots should be mixed with fine cliafF, and 

 then be left to saturate or absorb the watery quality of 

 the roots into the chaff. It will be ready for use in a few 

 hours, and should then be sparingly giv6n in the manger 

 or boarded crib. Working-horses will require a little 

 corn with the mixture; but young horses thrive well 

 upon it, with straw or other similar food. The pro- 

 portions for horses should be, in bulk, about two-thirds 

 chaff to one of pulp. In preparing the food for cattle, 

 two distinctions should be observed : Young cattle 

 must partake of a larger porportion of dry food, i. e. 

 chaff, or scouring will result. The proper mixture for 

 fatting cattle will be about equal parts in bulk, i. e., 

 tyvo bushels of chaff to two bushels of pulp ; while for 

 young cattle it ought to consist of three bushels of 

 chaff to one of pulp, and in both cases it should undergo 

 a slight fermentation. In feeding them, great care 

 should be taken not to overdo the animali ; and if any is 

 not eaten, let it be taken away, and the crib left to 

 sweeten till next feeding ; otherwise the crib gets a nasty 

 odour, and the animal will never lick it clean, or feed 

 pleasantly out of it. 



In preparing it for sheep, it will not be requisite 

 to use chaff at all, although the better for the 

 mixture ; but simply to use such means as may 

 appear desirable to extract from it those deleterious 

 watery particles which cause looseness and scouring. 

 For pigs the pulp will only require mixing with meal, 

 without the addition of water. I think for fatting stock 

 of all kinds, it should be fermented ; the food undergoes 

 a chemical change, and some improvement ; saccharine 

 matter is engendered ; and if no further result is obtained, 

 the process of digestion is commenced before the ani- 

 mal has partaken of the food. It has also been found 

 that the majority of animals prefer the fermented to the 

 fresh food. Cows are said to partake of this food with- 

 out any deleterious effects to the milk or butter. 



Fermentation. — This will commence immediately 

 after the pulping, and in cold weather it will be 

 about from twenty-four to thirty-six hours before it 

 is quite ready for use ; in mild weather about twelve 

 hours' fermentation will suffice. The common prac- 

 tice is to divide a convenient floor into sections or com- 

 partments, and lay the pulp in three separate divisions, 

 so that they may be carried to the stocks in succession, 

 so that one day's food is always in hand ; but for the 

 Sunday I should mix the fresh pulped with the oldest 

 fermented mass, so that both may be equalized. On no 

 account should the fermenting mass be permitted to wax 

 hot — merely warm. The fermentation of the pulped 

 roots has the effect of turning a portion of the starchy 

 matters into sugar ; just, I presume, the very thing re- 

 quired to add nutritive value to the food. And the fur- 

 ther admixture of chaff, similar dry food being well in- 

 corporated and saturated with it, adds still greater 

 nutritive value to the heap, which is then precisely in 

 that state wherein it is most readily digested by the 

 animal, and from which it can deiive the greatest aliment 

 in the shortest time, thus leaving it additional liberty 

 and time to rest and more quickly thrive. This ad- 

 mixture of dry food, as chafl' or other solid food, is 

 almost imperative, or looseness or scouring will take 

 place, and disappointment will ensue. In very cold 

 weather it is most desirable that the pulped food should 

 be warmed by fermentation, and the mixture of chaff' 

 more liberal. It is perfectly compatible and true that 

 a large feeding of cold roots, unmixed with dry or strawy 

 food, cannot be beneficial to any animal in severely cold 

 weather; it th^n tends to cause fl-itulency, colic, and 

 indigestion. To pulp all the roots grown on the farm is 

 almost impossible. Fancy crops of from thirty to fifty 

 tons of mangolds or turnips per acre, upon a large 

 breadth, being passed through our present pulpers ! It 

 would be extravagant, and nearly useless in many cases. 

 For instance, common white-fleshed turnips are readily 

 fed off by sheep : T should not undertake the expense of 

 collecting and pulping this crop, although the sheep 

 would in soriae rcsj)ects bd advantaged by it. I think it 

 unnecessary expense, because cutting would do nearly as 



