186 



QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 



solar light, and consequent upon diflferent degrees of maturity. Cattle- 

 feeding roots are largely composed of water ranging from 80 to 90 per 

 cent., consequently the nutritive value is measured by the amount of dry 

 matter which varies in white turnips from 7 to 9 per cent. ; yellow turnips 

 8 to 10 per cent.; Swedish turnips 10 to 13 per cent.; mangel wurzels 10 

 to 14 per cent. To be more exact, in the estimate of value must be con- 

 sidered the amount of sugar in this dry matter, and it may be approximately 

 stated as in white turnips 40 to 50 per cent., yellow turnips 40 to 50 per 

 cent., Swedish turnips 50 to 60 per cent., mangel wurzels 60 to 70 per 

 cent. Sugar is technically known as a carbohydrate, and as a cattle food 

 it forms fat. 



1018. Q. I have a good crop of potatoes this year, having just put away, 

 my crop from seventeen acres of 3380 bushels, or 360 bushels to the acre. 

 Is that quantity often grown ? 



A. No, it is not ; 800 bushels is a big crop of well-sorted, fairly 

 measured potatoes. On that quantity most farmers would be glad to com- 

 promise as a regular return for a term of years, but occasionally it is ex- 

 ceeded not only twice, but three times ; for instance, at the Chicago 

 Exhibition there was shown by New York State farmers samples of crops 

 certified to be grown from measured acres of the following varieties and 

 quantities : 



Maggie Murphy, 810 bushels. 



Ideal, 675 bushels. 



Earls Rochester, 656 bushels. 



White Flower, 640 bushels. 



Albany Seedling, 574 bushels. 



1019. Q. Name me some good sorts of potatoes, early, medium and 

 late. 



A. For tery early. — Early Ohio, Irish Cobbler, Bliss Triumph. 



For medium early. — Early Vermont, Reeves Rose, Holton Rose. 



For late. — Freeman, Green Mountain, State of Maine, Peerless, Gar- 

 field, Rural New Yorker, American Giant, Rural Blush. 



1030. Q. To what botanical family does the squash and pumpkin 

 belong? 



A. They are not of one family, but of two distinct characters, the squashes 

 being of the genus Cucurbita maxima while the pumpkins are of the 

 genus Cucurbita pepo. Botanists classify them according to the forma- 

 tion of their leaves ; for instance, those of entire or undivided leaves are of 

 the maxima or squash family, comprising the Hubbard, Marblehead, 

 Boston, Mammoth, Fordhook, Chili, Red Turban, Bologne, Etampes, 

 Sweet Potato, Winter Crook Neck, and, strange to say, the Cheese and 

 Cashaw, ordinarily called pumpkins ; while on the other hand, those of 

 subdivided or cut leaves are of the pepo or pumpkia family, represented 

 by the Negro pumpkin, the Yellow Field, Nantucket, Golden Summer 

 Crook Neck, White Bush, the last two ordinarily called squashes. The 

 undivided or entire leaves of the maxima, while hairy on the surface and 



