NO. 24. 



THE FARMliUS CABINET. 



'M5 



Xutruductlou of Tarnop lliu^bandry in 



A correspondent of the Boston Courier, 

 speaking of the introduction of llie sug^ar beet 

 into this country, makes some forcible rema^k^ 

 on the prodigious impulse whicli tlie prospe- 

 rity ofa nation may receive by the mtroduction 

 of a sin;j;le new plant, whicii lie illustrates by 

 the followin'T historical fact : — 



In an early part of the reign of George 

 the First, the culture of the turnep was liiiiiled 

 in England to a tew gardens, as that of tiie 

 beet now is with us, and used almost e.Kclu- 

 sively for culinary purposes. 'J'liat monarch, 

 in one of his vigils to lus electorate of Hano- 

 ver, was attended by liis secretary of slate, 

 Lord Townsend ; wliilst residing there, this 

 nobleman was struck by the appearance of ex- 

 tensive tields devoted lu the culture of the 

 turnep, as food tor cattle and sheep; impressed 

 with the belief that ihis method might be intro- 

 duced withadvanlagein to Ins own country, ho, 

 before leaving Germany, took care to provide 

 himself with seed, and, on his return, earnestly 

 recommended to his tenants a practice, which, 

 in Hanover, had been found to produce the 

 most favorable results, liis wishes were 

 attended to, and the experiment surpassed in 

 success, his most sanguine e.xpectations. 

 The hold culture of ihe turnep spread rapidly 

 through the county of ;\orfolk, which, fiom 

 that epoch, dates its high reputation as an 

 agricultural district. Lands, which rented 

 for one or two shillings an acre, soon brought 

 fifteen or twenty, and sterde warrens, on 

 which were to be seen only a few half-starved 

 rabbits, were reclaimed, and are now covered 

 with rich harvests of grain. Cohiuohoun, 

 in his statistical researches, computes that 

 the annual value of a crop of turnpes in Aor- 

 J'olk alone, amounts to no less than fifteen 

 millions sterling. When it is considered 

 that this root has been the means of bringing 

 under culture, lands, which, without it, must 

 have remained valueless; that it leaves the 

 soil in a condition to ensure a good crop of 

 grain or grass, and that the latter is a good 

 preparation for wheat, we may safely consider 

 the benefits resulting to England from the 

 turnep cukure as incalculable. If it was 

 now asked, says Colquolicun, who was the 

 man, in modern times, who had rendered 

 England the most signal service, no one 

 should hesitate to say, that it was the noble- 

 man whom siiallow courtiers nicknamed in 

 derision, "Turnep Townsend." In half a 

 century the turneps spread over the three 

 kingdoms, and their yearly value, at this day, 

 says the same author, is not inferior in amount 

 to the interest of the national debt ! I ! 



From Ibii .Mnlne Katimr. 



Quckfioiati and AiB«iivci-ii. 



What is the average crop of Kuta I3aga, 

 to the acre, on liyid well manured and taken 

 care of! 



Answer. Six hundred bushel;-, each bushel 

 weighing t)4 p(jiiiid6, afitr being well cleared 

 of tops, tlirt, iuid small roots. Alucli greater 

 crops ha\e oflen been pruduceii ; eiiy from 

 one to two thousand bushels to the acre, cr at 

 lliat rate on smaller lots. 



What are they worth, ton for ton, or pound 

 for pound, tor slock, compared wilh goo<i 

 English hay, corn, potatoes, ap|)les, &ic. 1 



A. When properly fed out, they may save 

 hay, pound for pound ; because if given in 

 any considerable (juaritities, stock may bo 

 kept in good condition, if poor hay, or even 

 straw be added. They are worth more than 

 potatoes in equal weight; and as much as 

 ajjples, and less liable to decay. To keep a 

 creature in decent flesh, wilh hay, five bushels 

 of lluta Baga are equal to a burhel of [meal. 



What kind of stock is it best and most 

 profitable to feed them to ? 



A. All kinds: horses and swine not e.x- 

 cepled. If ihey refuse them at first, let 

 them become hungry, and they will joon cat 

 them well. I have wintered swiiieoii them, 

 in a raw state. They are worth for them 

 certainly as much as potatoes — and are most 

 excellent for sheep. 



What is the cost to raise them, per bushel, 

 compared with potatoes? 



A. Much less: as they yield much more 

 on a given quantity of land ; their seed and 

 planting cost less; their hoeing mure; and 

 their leaves pay the harvesting. 



Are they not more e.xhausting to the land 

 than potatoes, or most other crops '.' 



A. They are : as much more weight is 

 taken from the soil than by most other crops. 

 I think no one ought to object to having a 

 lartre crop, beciuse it takes more from the 

 soifthan an inferior one; but it should be known 

 that Indian corn will not grow well the next 

 year after a large crop of ruta baga, as each 

 require from the soil similar qualities. 



More hereafter, in relation to Ruta Baga, 

 from A. B. 



The season has arrived when farmers 

 should be on the alert to prevent noxious 

 weeds from seeding, and thus spreading over 

 the land. It would undoubtedly be belter to 

 eradicate them thoroughly and at once, but 

 in many cases this is nearly or quite impossible, 

 and the only thing that can be done, is, as 

 far as practicable, to prevent the extension 

 of the evil. — This may in most cases be best 

 done by cutting the weeds before the seed 

 is sufBciently ripened to propagate the plant 



