FORAGE CROPS IN 

 DENMARK 



CHAPTER I 



THE FEEDING VALUE OF ROOTS 



THE cultivation of roots other than potatoes was very much 

 neglected in Denmark even as late as the middle of last century. 

 In his admirable " Keport on the Agriculture of the Kingdom 

 of Denmark," 1 H. M. Jenkins, F.G.S., the secretary of the Koyal 

 Agricultural Society of England, speaks of " the insignificant 

 proportion of tillage area (not one- quarter per cent.) which is 

 annually under root-crop," quoting from Prof. Wilson's report 

 from 1867, reprinted in the Journal E.A.S.E. for 1867 and 

 1868. The reason often brought forward by Danish farmers 

 that bare fallow was necessary to clean the land, Jenkins 

 answered by expressing the opinion that " the growth of root- 

 crops would be a much more effectual means of obtaining that 

 result," and both he and Wilson found the land very foul, as 

 did also M. Tisserand in 1863. The small acreage of turnips 

 grown is explained by Jenkins as due to " the scarcity of 

 labour and the ignorance of both farmers and labourers on the 

 subject," and to the fact that " root-crops are not esteemed 

 as a food for dairy cows," it being feared that the roots would 

 injuriously affect the flavour of the butter. " Thus in the 

 dairy districts bare fallow is preferred to a turnip-crop, because 

 turnips taint the butter, and there are no steers to feed." 



The objection to roots as food for dairy cows was later on 

 found to be largely due to a misunderstanding, and with im- 

 proved dairy methods it was removed altogether. The land 



1 Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 12 vol., Part II., 

 I^ondon, 1876, p. 327 ff. 



