NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Published bj' JOHN B. RUSSELI-, at the corner of Congpress and l.indall Street?, Bosto;) THOMAS G- tF.SSr.NnF.N, r^mroR. 



VOL. IV. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 182(i. 



INo. 39. 



From the JKass. Agricul. Repos. vol. Hi. page 175. 



MANGEL WURTZEL. 



It is well known to all of us, lliat the root of 

 scarcity, as it has been often called, has, in must 

 countries of Europe, been very celebrated lor 

 its great products, and its valuable properties 

 as food, both for men and domestic animals. — 

 Its cultivation, however, especially in this coui. 

 try, has been in no degree proportionate to the 

 favourable accounts which have been given of 

 it. 1 have thought that, at a time [1814] when 

 the extended propagation of sheep appears to 

 threaten the diminution of the number of other 

 ■valuable domestic animals in consequence of the 

 scarcity of food, il would be useful to turn our 

 attention to such plants as may have a tendency 

 to prevent this scarcity. It is the more impor- 

 tant in our country, since the severity of oui 

 winters precludes us from using the turnip as 

 green fodder lor our sheep during the winter 

 months. 



The best account I have seen of the root oi 

 scarcity may be found in the Abbe Rosier's 

 Cours complct cP Agriculture, fi'om which the fol- 

 lowinff translation has been made. I do not 

 vouch lor the accuracy ot the statements, but 

 the public may rest assured that it is the most 

 approved work on agriculture now in use in 

 France. The plant has been cultivated success- 

 I'ully here, and thrives with us as well as in 

 France. J. LOWELL, Carres. SecY 



Abbreviated translation of the Abbe Rosier^s re- 

 marks on the " Bncine disettee,''' \too\ of scar t- 

 ^j ] ur Si^ti rave cha'mpelre.,\^py^ he^B\S^ him 

 the Beta albissima of LinnKits. 



The field beet, somewhat hardier and less 

 sweet than the commcn garden beet, grows like 

 that chiefly above ground, into which it does not 

 penetrate more than half its whole length, ll 

 would be apt to rot if you shoui'd cover it with 

 soil. 



It has one valuable property, and that is, that 

 you may strip it repeatedly of its leaves and thus 

 furnish a most abundant forage for cattle, and it 

 will rather thrive upon it, while the common 

 beet is much injured by such treatment. 



Its culture is eas,» — its advantages numerous. 

 It will supply the place of all other food for cat- 

 tle. It succeeds in all soils, and especially in 

 those which are humid or light. 



This roof is very little affected by changes of 

 weather. It is attacked by no insect — droughi 

 aflects but little i(s vegetation, fl prepares the 

 ground extremely well for other crops. It is 

 known in Germany by the name of mange I- 

 wurtzel. Rosier recommends that the root of 

 scarcity should be sown in beds, and then trati' 

 planted, but this expense is not necessary. 1: 

 may be sown and treated precisely like the com- 

 mon beet, except that they ought to stand eight 

 een inches asunder, those that are left to grow. 



The more the land is manured and cultivat 

 ed, the better the plants. In ordinary land, with 

 common culture, they will only weigh five or 

 six pounds a piece, and the leaves can only be 

 Stripped lour or five times in a season. In good 



land thc}' often weigh nine or ten pounds, and j 

 are stripped eight or nine limes. In a light, ; 

 sandy, but well manured soil, they sometimes 

 weigh fourteen and even sixteen poundd each ! 

 The lirst crop of leaves in France is taken olf 

 in the latter end of June, or the beginning of 

 July. In this country, probably the latter pe- 

 riod would be preferable. The lower leaves, 

 those which incline towards the ground, are 

 those which are taken away, and care must be 

 taken to preserve the top leaves or the crown 

 of the plant. The leaves may be taken off 

 every fifteen days after the first gathering. — 

 Oxen, cows, and sheep devour them greedily, 

 and fatten readily upon them. All domestic 

 poultry eat them readily when chopped fine 

 and mixed with grain. Horses will feed upon 

 them very well, mixed with chopped straw. — 

 Hogs also fatten upon them. 



REMARKS. 



Cows fed upon them solely, give a greater 

 quantity of milk and cream, and of belter quali- 

 ty for the first fifteen days, after which they 

 grow too fat and the milk lessens. The food of 

 cows must, therefore, be varied. Oxen and 

 sheep fatten v«ry well upon them. Cows should 

 have grass in the proportion of one third to the 

 beet leavi'S, or every third day they should be 

 turned to grass. In this mode their milk will 

 be excellent. The trouble of gathering the 

 leavt's is less than that of gathering any other 

 gr^jen fodder. It may be done by children, 

 while men are required to cut other green food 

 for cattle. It is the surest crop, since the plant 

 «lii iftaiiu the largest dioughts. fie ".dd?, that 

 iKe leaves make an excellent vegetable for the 

 lood of man, but as in our country we have such 

 an abundance of green vegetables, this may be 

 deemed of small consideration. 



The roots are gathered and treated like those 

 of the common beet. The skin is very tender 

 and care should be taken to handle them so as 

 they may not be wounded, as they will, in that 

 case, not keep so well. 



In order to preserve the seed in purity, care 

 must be taken to change the ground in which 

 the seed-beets are planted. 



The seed can be preserved after it is gather- 

 ed three or four years without injury. 



In giving these roots to cattle for food, they 

 are first washed and then cut up into pieces 

 about thc size of a nut. 



It is always best to accompany them when 

 given to horned cattle with clover, or other hay 

 or straw, and if the hay or straw has been pre- 

 viously cut fine, it will be preferable. 



If horses are fed with this root, with a pro- 

 portion of hay or cut straw, (half of eac]i,) they 

 will be fat, vigorous, and healthy. If they are 

 worked severely, a little oats or corn may be 

 added. It is thus they are treated in Germany, 

 where this root stands in the stead of meadows 

 or grass lands, and whose excellent horses are 

 well known. 



Hogs fed upon Ihem raw, after they have 

 lieen cut up fine and mixed with milk or other 

 drink, fattea as well upoa (hem as upoa boiled 



potatoes, by Wiiich the fuel tind trouble of boil- 

 ing is saved. 



As to the qiian'iiy given to animals, much 

 will depend r<ti the proportion of other fodder 

 which you allow them. Cows fed twice a day 

 upon eighteen pounds of these roots at each 

 time together, with four pounds of hay or chop- 

 ped straw, will give as much and as good milk 

 as in summer, and they will be kept in the best 

 possible state. 



Oxen fed with forty weight of these roots per 

 day, with ttn pounds of hay for one month, and 

 alter that xvith fifty weight per day o( the roots 

 alone, will be fat enough for sale in two months 

 more. 



Any person disposed may. from the fads 

 above s!at«d, calculate how many cattle will be 

 supported ''v a single acre on \vbich this plant 

 is cultivated. Its benefits are indisputable. 



The Abbe concludes with this summary : 



1. Men can eat this ve^plahle throughout the 

 year, ii is agreeable and hcallhy. 



2. No insect whatever altacks it. It suffers 

 lillle t"fom the variety oi seasons. j|. 



3. The leaves of this plant form alone an ex- 

 cellent food for every species of dnmeslic quad- 

 ruped during four months in the year. Turnips 

 and other vegetables are besides liable to be 

 destroyed by insects, whereas this beet is not. 



4. The roots can be preserved eight months 

 in a sound state, while turnijis are of little val- 

 ue after March. 



.5. In some soils turnips will not grow, partic- 

 ularly in those that are very stiff or strong. — 

 The rc^t -^f scarcity grows every where. 



Q. 'ihe milk of cows fed on iunii|is has a hnS 

 taste. That of those fed on this plant is excel- 

 lent as is also the butter made from it. 



This forage or green fodder comes also at 

 the hot seasons, v/hen almost all the green food 

 is scarce and sometimes not to be procured. — 

 Cattle never get tired of it. In many parts of 

 Germany where it is raised with success, they 

 prefer it to every thing else to fatten those large 

 herds of cattle which thoy annually export to 

 France. 



From Memoirs of the Peitn.. Agric. Society. 



MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY CATTLE. 

 [Letter from R. Smith to J.H.Powel.] 



Dear Sir — You have asked me to send you a 

 statement of the arrangements ot my dairy iarra 

 Orange, two miles from Baltimore. This 1 am 

 about doing, because it is part of my creed, that 

 an unreserved communication of our respective 

 practices cannot fail to lead to beneficial results. 



The barn is constructed according to the best 

 Pennsylvania models. The yard is to the south 

 of it. On the east and west sides are cow sta- 

 bles, containing 110 well made stalls, and venti- 

 lated by a sufficient number of windows and 

 double doors. At the tails of each range of cows 

 there is a dram made of strong planks, — and so 

 fixed as to receive all their dung and urine. — 

 These several drains have a sufficient declivity 

 to carry all the fluid matter to their southern 

 terminations, where they intersect similar drains, 

 which convey all this liquid manure into a cis- 



