296 VALUE OF ROOT-CROPS. 



be sold from off the land), and the returns for cattle fed upon 

 it, whether in the shape of meat, butter, or cheese. To cal- 

 culate otherwise would be absurd. Farmers cannot be market- 

 gardeners ; and, I repeat, that the value of carrots, potatoes, 

 and mangel-wurzel is ascertained, not at the green-grocer's, 

 but at the butcher's stall. 



Had the roots been converted into meat, rather than sold, 

 the carrots, according to my experience, would, instead of III., 

 have realized about II. 16s. The potatoes, instead of III., 

 about IL 17s.; and the mangel-wurzel, instead of 21. 10s., 

 about 16s. 6d., or 41. 9s. 6d. for the half-acre of roots, instead 

 of 247. 14s., being at the rate of 8/. 19s., instead of 49Z. 8s., 

 per acre. 



I submit this calculation to the practical farmer, and I 

 should be glad to have it corrected if necessary. But I venture 

 to hazard an opinion that 71. per acre for roots of any kind 

 will be found an extreme sum, unless incorporated with other 

 ingredients, as I have shown in my reply to " Cincinnatus." 



Let any person who may doubt, try the experiment upon an 

 average-sized bullock; he will then be able to form a just 

 estimate of such statements as are contained in the letter now 

 under consideration, and to discover that, instead of a shilling 

 per bushel for carrots, and six-pence for mangel-wurzel, two- 

 pence would have been sufficient ; and, instead of two shillings 

 per bushel for potatoes, four-pence would have been too much. 



The calculation, according to my experience, ought to stand 

 thus : 



Half an acre of flax, consisting of 8 bushels of seed, at . s. d. 



Ss. per bushel .... . .340 



And 15 cwt. of stalks, containing 15 stone of fibre, at 



8*. per stone . . . . . . .600 



Chaff, tow, and broken stalks 100 



10 4 

 i acre of carrots 220 bushels, at 2d. per 



' bushel 1 16 5 



i acre of potatoes and mangel-wurzel 112 



bushels of potatoes, at 4d. per bushel . 1 17 4 

 100 bushels of mangel-wurzel, at 2d. per 



. bushel 16 8 



4 10 5 



Balance in favour of flax . . . 5 13 7 



