CHAPTER XXVI 



ROOT CROPS AND OTHER COMPARABLE 

 FORAGES 



ROOT crops were all developed primarily for use as 

 human food and are still mainly grown for this purpose. 

 They are similarly useful, however, as rich feed for do- 

 mestic animals, and where they can be grown more cheaply 

 than grain are important for such use. 



697. Root crops. This general phrase is used somewhat 

 loosely in agronomic literature. In the broadest sense 

 it includes all plants whose roots, tubers, bulbs or other 

 underground vegetative parts are utilized. More gener- 

 ally, tubers, such as potatoes, and bulbs, such as onions, 

 are excluded. As usually employed the term includes 

 primarily beets or mangels, rutabagas, turnips and carrots. 

 Some other roots used as forage are cassava, artichokes, 

 sweet potatoes and chufas, but these are adapted to 

 warmer climates. In a looser usage rape, kale and cabbage 

 have been included with " root crops." The German 

 term hackfruchte or " hoe crops " is even less definite, 

 including not only ordinary root crops, but pumpkins, 

 cabbage and kale. 



All of the root crops used for forage are also used as 

 vegetables for human food, but the varieties grown for 

 forage are the larger, coarser ones which produce corre- 

 spondingly heavier yields. 



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