58 THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 



was not known in Europe, until after the discovery 

 of Columbus in 1492; it was little known in the hus- 

 bandry of our forefathers ; so late as 30 years ago, 

 if a farmer raised 100 bushels of potatoes in a sea- 

 son, it excited particular notice ; and now they are 

 become one of our best crops, and our farmers often 

 raise 1,2, or 3000 bushels the season, which always 

 command a ready market, and a fair price. The 

 value of the potatoe in feeding beef cattle, hogs, 

 sheep, horses and cows, is found, by the experi- 

 ence of the best farmers, to exceed in value any 

 other feeding; even the Indian-corn. No feeding 

 will afford that strength and support to working cat- 

 tle, and enable them to bear the heat so well, as the 

 potatoe. When I come to treat of stock particularly, 

 J shall show in minute detail the practical calcula- 

 tions of the best farmers, both in England and Ameri- 

 ca, upon the use and value of this most excellent 

 root. Now is the time to prepare for your fall and 

 winter feeding ; no farmer ever raised too many po- 

 tatoes, and probably too many never will be raised. 



The farmers of our country have too much good 

 sense and judgment, to render it necessary for me to 

 say, that great care should be taken to select the best 

 of every crop for seed, and that the several kinds be 

 kept pure and unmixed. The good, resulting from 

 this, must be too evident to have escaped the notice 

 of the most ordinary farmer. 



The carrot is the only root that can vie with the 

 potatoe, both in the profits of its culture, and utility 

 for feeding; but this requires that nice mode of hus- 

 bandry, which renders it too difficult and expensive 

 to be extensively raised, so long as the price of la- 

 bour is so dear in our country. A few hundred bush- 

 els may be easily raised by farmers generally, in the 

 kitchen-garden, with very little xtra expense, under 

 a proper management ; but as the season for the cul- 

 ture is past, I shall defer my remarks upon this root, 

 together with the mangel wurtzel, and other roots. 



