ROOT CROPS. 99 



been to sow from tliree-quartcrs of a pound to one pound of seed to an acre in 

 my corn fields. At the last lioeing of corn, after going through the fields with 

 the cultivator, sow the seed as though there Avas no corn growing there ; then 

 hoe the corn as usual. In this way I have grown from 250 to 300 bushels an 

 acre, of large, clear, and clean purple-top turnips, free from worms, which find 

 a ready sale at thirty-three cents per bushel at retail, or twenty-five dollars per 

 hundred. I have sometimes sowed one pound of seed to the acre, but have 

 thought it too much. Last season I had an acre of grass land, where the grass 

 was very light — not more than one ton — Avhich I cut the last of June, then 

 put my team to ploughing it with a Michigan plough ; spread upon it about 

 fifty bushels of leached ashes and a few loads of fine manure that were left after 

 planting ; sowed six quarts each of herds-grass and clover-seed, and one pound 

 of purple-top turnip seed ; harrowed it well before sowing the seed, then rolled 

 it. The rain began to fall in two days after I finished the piece. The turnips 

 very soon began to show themselves, and grew finely ; also the grass-seed came 

 up, and soon both the turnips and grass covered the ground. This piece of land 

 1 had well manured one year and a half before, and sowed to winter wheat ; 

 had a fair crop, being a dry piece of land. The grass all dried up, and I 

 thought I would try this experiment; and now for the result. As I said before, 

 the grass and turnip seed came up well, so that in some of the richest places on 

 the acre the clover grcAV from two to two and a half feet high, and I mowed a 

 good crop of grass in August, taking the turnip tops as I mowed, and to my 

 surprise the turnips grew to a very good size. On the rest of the piece I had 

 a large crop of grass and turnip tops, which I mowed, leaving the turnips all 

 ready to pull, which the men did very readily, all of those of good size, leaving 

 a larger quantity on and in the ground than they pulled. What was left was 

 all eaten up by my sheep when they were brought from the pasture. I gathered 

 over one hundred bushels, that did not cost me more than three dollars, Avhich 

 I am now feeding to my sheep, (February,) and shall have enough to last three 

 weeks into March. There are many acres of land that can be treated in this 

 way, and yet the land be well laid down to grass for a large crop of clover next 

 year, if one has manure at that season of the year to spread after ploughing. The 

 purple-top turnip is the best, I think, to grow; they do not grow so large tops 

 by one half, and bottom better and mature earlier. 



The feeding of turnips is best adapted to fill and early winter feeding; then 

 sugar beets come in next for feeding, then ruta-baga, and then mangolds. 



I would earuestl}^ recommend to all farmers a more general sowing and rais- 

 ing of the various kinds of roots, thereby saving a great deal of hay and keep- 

 ing their stock in better condition. 



SUGAR BEETS. 



The cultivation of this root is considered by some farmers to be preferable 

 to mangolds. If the land is made rich there can be a large crop raised upon 

 an acre. They need the same kind of treatment as the mangolds, are sowed in 

 the same manner, and harvested about the same time. 



These roots are better adapted to early feeding than mangolds or ruta-baga. 

 Milch cows are extremely fond of them, and they will produce as much milk 

 us any other root. I have kept store hogs through an entire winter upon 

 them, giving the hogs what slops were made in the house, and sugar beets, cut 

 up and fed raw, given to them at noon. If there was no swill for them from 

 the house, I gave them roots at night. If the hogs are not fed too bountifully, 

 they will eat them as freely and with as good relish as they would corn. If 

 hogs are kept for manure-making, this is the best and cheapest food they can 

 have from early fall to late in the spring or summer, throwing a handful of 

 corn occasionally into the manure for them to dig after. To any farmer think- 

 ing of growing roots, that has no experience, I would suggest that he should 



