CHAPTER XV 



GROWING ROOTS AND POTATOES 



If roots are to be grown in the rotation the best 

 time to introduce the crop will generally be after 

 winter greens consumed during winter and spring. 

 Roots grown on the ordinary system, that is, on a 

 stubble land left idle through the^winter, are far from 

 a profitable crop, but grown in connection with a 

 Continuous Cropping rotation, the cost of root 

 production can be very much decreased. 



In the first place, the roots, having been preceded 

 by two smothering crops, tares and winter greens, 

 will be raised on clean land. Hence less hand and 

 horse hoeing for the purpose of exterminating weeds 

 will be necessary. In addition, the fact of having 

 grown a dense foliage crop through the winter will 

 result in the soil being far drier in spring-time and 

 far more friable, thus enabling the preparation of the 

 root land to be preceded with, even in a wet spring. 

 Again, a further labour economy is possible by 

 consuming the winter green crops in situ. 



Where this is done with potatoes and turnips, the 

 writer applies no dung. Artificials only are used on 

 these crops, and consumption on the land of the pre- 

 ceding winter green crop is sufficient along with arti- 

 ficials to grow these crops without any further applica- 

 tion of dung. Mangels, however, are gross feeders, 

 and will generally pay for an additional application of 

 manure. 



