326 



Ruta-Baga Turnips for Dairy Cows. — Blue-Grass. Vol. VI. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Kata-Baga Turnips for Dairy Cows. 



Tb Saml Westf Delaware Co., Pa. 

 Dear Sir, — In the cars from Philadelphia 

 to Chester the other day, in company with 

 our valued agricultural friend of this county, 

 John Barney, Esq., I inquired of you, as a ce- 

 lebrated butter maker in winter as well as 

 sprincf and summer — your mode of winter 

 feed for dairy cows — the reply was, after a 

 sufficiency of good hay, to feed them on the 

 rula-baga turnip. I objected to the taste of 

 the turnip imparted to the milk and butter, 

 which you assured us could be totally obviated 

 with proper care, as also the taste of garlic 

 in the spring, in which cattle so delight. I 

 think your experience so important, as to re- 

 quest further information on these subjects — 

 you will much oblige me and other of your 

 agricultural friends, by furnishing as facts 

 which we may make known, for the public 

 good. Very truly your friend, 



Ja8. W. Thomson. 



Wilmington, Del. March 25, 1842. 



[Reply from S. West.] 



Chester, 4th month 7th, 1842. 



To Dr. Thomson, Pres'f. of Ag'l, Soc. of 

 Newcastle County. 



Respected Friend, — Thy favour of third 

 month 2.5th, came duly to hand, and in reply 

 to thy inquiries I will state my method of 

 winter keep for dairy cows, so as to ensure 

 good sweet winter butter. After a sufficiency 

 of first-rate upland hay, I allow to each cow 

 about a half bushel of ruta-baga turnips finely 

 cut up — always remembering to strip the 

 cows clear of milk before feeding with the 

 turnip, and in the morning feeding with a 

 diflferent kind of food, viz., cut hay, with a 

 little Indian meal, or other mill feed. By 

 this process there will be no taste of the tur- 

 nip, either in the milk or butter, so objection- 

 able to many ; and by it you will have a full 

 flow of milk from your cows, and butter of a 

 fine rich springlike quality, seldom obtained 

 in the winter season. 



And so likewise to avoid the taste of gar- 

 lic in milk and butter, so common in many 

 parts of the U. S., in the spring. You have 

 only to strip the cows well in the morning — 

 turn them upon your fields in which there is 

 garlic, until noon, or 12 o'clock, then take 

 them out and put them upon pasture where 

 there is 7io garlic growing until evening, 

 and then you will not detect garlic either in 

 the milk or butter. In addition to these pre- 

 cautions, I put about a teaepoonful of well 

 pulverized saltpetre in the cream-pot when 

 filling to make butter — observing to stir it 

 often before churning. 



Thee is always at liberty to call upon me 

 for any information in my power to give. I 

 have no secrets to keep from my brother farm- 

 ers, and believe with thee that the occupa- 

 tion of the agriculturist is the most honest 

 when freed from mystery, and most profitable 

 when those engaged in its pursuit are most 

 willing to impart their experience and in- 

 formation to each other. 



As ever, thy friend, Sam'l West. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Kentucky Blue-Grass. 



Sir, — I want information relative to the 

 Kentucky blue-grass; can you or some of 

 your contributors give me its botanical desig- 

 nation 1 is it the same as the green grass 

 that grows in New Jersey ? what soil does it 

 require 1 does it make good hay, and will it 

 bear frequent mowing, so as to be suitable for 

 ornamental grounds around the dwelling- 

 house 1 Answers to these questions will much 

 oblige A Subscriber. 



Answer. 



Poa Pratensis, L. Smooth-stalked mea- 

 dow-grass; Green grass; Blue-grass of Ken- 

 tucky, but not of other districts. This is de- 

 cidedly the most valuable of all our pasture 

 grasses, and comes in spontaneously, in all 

 our rich, calcareous soils. — Dr. Darlington. 



Kentucky Blue-Grass. The best time for 

 sowing is as soon as you get ready after Oc- 

 tober ; or any time before the middle of March, 

 expect a good stand. 



Land. Old fields, on which the sun can 

 exert all his powers, produce blue-grass in the 

 greatest abundance, and best quality. Ani- 

 mals feeding thereon without grain, keep bet- 

 ter and become fatter than on any other treat- 

 ment ; but even wood lands will produce good 

 grass. 



Preparation. If intended for old pasture, 

 break up the fields in February, and sow 

 oats; then sow ten pounds blue-grass seed, 

 half a gallon of red clover seed, and if a little 

 timothy or orchard grass be sprinkled on, so 

 much the better ; the timothy and clover or 

 orchard grass will give a quick pasture and 

 affi:)rd protection to the blue-grass until it gets 

 a strong fot)t-hold, after which no other grass 

 can contend with it. If wood land is to be 

 sown, take off the logs, &c., and if the un- 

 derbrush could also be removed so much the 

 better; and after the land is cleared, harrow 

 it well, then sow your grass seed at the rate 

 of 10 or 12 pounds per acre, but if you put on 

 15 or 20 pounds, you will not regret it; the 

 rains will sufficiently cover the seed to insure 

 vegetation. — West. Far. and Gar. 



