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Beet and Turnip Culture, — The Wliite Carrot. Vol. VI 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Beet aud Turnip Culture. 



1 HAvn iii?t read an article in tlio last No. 

 of the "Cabinet," by Wtn. Penn Kintzer, in 

 whicb he says: "rmysclf have tried roots, 

 and would not condemn them wholly; but I 

 contend, the acre of g^round, forced by manure 

 and CLiIturc, producing a pood crop of beets, 

 will, under like circumstances, produce an 

 equal, if not greater amount of solid nutriment 

 in the shape of corn." And he closes with 

 observing: "Aware of the partiality of beet- 

 culture for stock, I shall look out for a censo- 

 rial notice from some ready pen. Neverthe- 

 less, I shall not be easily driven from my 

 ground." 



Perhaps there are few who take greater 

 pleasure than I do in the practical improve- 

 ment of our general system of agriculture 

 in its various branches, which consequently 

 cover a wide range, including, as intimately 

 connected iherewitii, the feeding of stock. I, 

 too, have raised and fed roots, for several 

 years, and am decidedly of opinion that they 

 are valuable for stock-feeding ; but, on the 

 other hand, I am equally decided in opinion, 

 founded upon my own experience as well as 

 observation, that the position taken above, is 

 substantially correct, — and that for the pur- 

 pose of stall-feeding stock, in most cases it is 

 much more profitable, in our country, soil and 

 climate, to raise Indian-corn for that purpose, 

 than beets or turnips, however different it 

 may bo in England, where Indian-corn will 

 not as profitably mature ; where, also, beets 

 and turnips grow much more luxuriantly than 

 they do with us, and where the extra labour 

 requisite in their culture is not so expensive 

 as it is with us. Perhaps some may reply, 

 they do not require great extra labour. Then 

 let such make the comparison with the cul- 

 ture of corn. It is well known that many 

 fanners cultivate 2.') and some 50 acres of 

 corn annually. Now, let the same quantity 

 of land be properly cultivated with beets 

 end turnip.s, instead of corn, and then judge 

 of the comparative labour; and who would 

 not flinch from, say 50 acres of roots, espe- 

 cially if he have his other farming operations 

 going on meanwhile ! I venture to say, he 

 would not like to repeat the culture of 50 

 acres the next year. I am, however, of 

 opinion, that in high stall-feeding with corn- 

 meal, it is advantageous to give daily a small 

 quantity of roots — beets, turnips or potatoes 

 — on account of their cooling properties, en- 

 abling the animal to extract more thoroughly 

 the nutritive matter of the grain in its "pas- 

 sage through it. It is true, there may be in- 

 stances, where a mechanic, or other person 

 who keeps one or two cows, and has but a 

 email lot of good land ; and who, as a rela.xa- 



tion from his trade in his shop — and for ad- 

 vantage to his health, would spend an hour 

 or so occasionally in his lot — with such, it 

 may perhaps answer to cultivate roots. But, 

 ev-jn then, I think a little grain with them an 

 economical addition, even if it has to be pro- 

 cured at the expense of selling a part of the 

 roots. 



I have often thought that one great cause 



! of the prejudice to what is sometimes called 

 book-ffirmins^, arises from the unsuccessful 



I attempts of those who have too implicitly fol- 

 lowed plans and statements which have suc- 

 ceeded well in other countries, soils and cli- 

 mates; not sufiiciently heeding, that what is 

 well adapted to one, frequently will not pro- 

 fitably answer the agriculturist in another. 

 The true interest of the farmer is, to culti- 

 vate such crops as will best remunerate him, 

 taking into consideration the nature and state 

 of the soil, the climate, and his particular lo- 

 cality (which last has frequently much to do 

 with it) and his means of manuring it accord- 

 ing to its wants — always bearing in mind the 

 steady progressive improvement of his land. 



But I have digressed. My object in taking 

 up my pen was, to support the position of the 

 superiority of corn to beets and turnips for 

 feeding. As to the exhaustion of the land in 

 the one case, and the melioration thereof in 

 the other, with fair and just treatment, I do 

 not believe in it to the extent that some ap- 

 pear to do. 



And now, before I close, let me add, if all 

 the corn-stalks are foddered and littered in a 

 barn-yard or yards of sufficient dimensions 

 and properly constructed (concave) and well 

 trodden by stock, together with all coarse 

 vegetable matter that can reasonably be ob- 

 tained, they will contribute largely to the 

 mass of barn-yard manure (the farmer's bank, 

 sure and safe) for the next summer's crop of 

 corn. A pen of hogs, having a suitable yard 

 to run in, sufficiently concave and wet in the 

 centre, and plentifully supplied with coarse 

 vegetable matter, will make, what would ap- 

 pear to those who have not tried it, an incre- 

 dible quantity of excellent manure, which I 

 greatly prefer for the melioration of my land, 

 to a crop of roots. W. 



Burlington Co., N. J. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The White Carrot. 



Mr. Editor, — As many of your subscribers 

 must have at this time crops of the white 

 carrot growing on their land, I should feel 

 obliged if they would inform us of their pro- 

 gress, and whether they are likely to fulfil 

 the promise which was made at the time of 

 sowing, namely, that they should supersede 

 all otlier crops of roots for the use of stock 



