THE CULTUEE OF FARM CROPS. 



CHAPTER XLVII. 



ROOT CROPS. 



The culture of root crops is beneficial to the farmer itt 

 two ways; one in producing a large quantity of exceedingly 

 nutritious and succulent food for use in the winter, helping- 

 to increase the quantity of manure made by feeding an in- 

 creased number of stock, and thus enriching the soil; as 

 well as greatly helping to keep down weeds and clean the 

 land by the thorough cultivation required. For these rea- 

 sons, a root crop should always be brought into the rotation 

 to be followed by spring grain, either oats or barley th& 

 latter being preferable with clover to follow. It has been 

 objected to this that our climate is not well adapted to roots; 

 but this is not true in regard to the best of all the roots, viz: 

 mangels, and sugar beets, for which our warm and dry cli- 

 mate is specially well adapted. The author has grow r n man- 

 gels at the rate of 1200 bushels, or 36 tons per acre; and 

 800 bushels of sugar beets of the large growing variety known 

 as "Lane's improved," (originated by the Hon. Henry Lane 

 of Burlington, Vermont). This quantity of mangels is suf- 

 ficient to feed 12 head of cattle, with a daily ration of half 

 a bushel per head, for 200 days, or more than 6 months; 

 that is from November to May; or during the full feeding 

 Season. The cost of growing these crops averaged $60. per 

 acre, including 600 Ibs. per acre of Mapes complete man- 

 ure, and 600 Ibs. of salt; costing about $15. per acre in all. 

 This shows the profit of this crop, for the half bushel of roots 

 was the principal w r inter feed for cows which were making 

 10 Ibs. of butter each per week, and this feed, upon 

 which the yield of butter chiefly depended, cost only 2j 

 cents per day. Thus roots are readily seen to be a large 

 factor in the profitable culture of farm crops, and have a 

 place in it which no other crop can fill as well as they. 



