90 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



as great and beneficial a revolution in British hus- 

 bandry as did the introduction of the steam-engine 

 and spinning-jenny in British manufactures. This 

 crop has there proved a great source of wealth and 

 fertility. It constitutes by far the most important 

 material for making beef and mutton, as well as lor 

 enriching or keeping up the fertility of the soil. 

 From an experience of twenty years in the culture 

 and use of tins root, we are persuaded it is destined 

 to become the fneans of great improvement also in 

 American husbandry, when our farmers shall be- 

 come more familiar with its culture, and mode of 

 preservation and feeding. 



In the fourth number of the third volume of the 

 Cultivator we gave particular directions for the cul- 

 tivation of this, root, with several illustrative cuts, 

 and for preserving and feeding them to farm-stock 

 and in our March number of the present volume we 

 have given an estimate of the product and value of 

 the Swede, compared with other crops which we 

 cultivate for feeding and fattening cattle. It would 

 be superfluous to repeat these details here, inasmuch 

 as they may readily be referred to ;* yet, as we have 

 many patrons who may not possess our third vol- 

 ume, we will give some brief directions. 



The Swedish turnip or ruta-baga has a manifest 

 advantage over all other varieties of turnip as cattle- 

 food, being the most nutritive in its properties, and 

 retaining its soundness and richness much the lon- 

 gest. The common varieties, if drawn, as all turnips 

 must be with us, become pithy or spongy before 

 mid-winter, and lose much of their value ; while the 

 Swede rather improves by keeping till February, 

 and may be fed in a perfectly sound state till June. 

 And it possesses, moreover, one quality, not known, 

 that we recollect, in any other root, that of increas- 

 ing in nutritious matter with increase of size, the 

 largest roots being specifically heaviest and richest. 



* See also Former'* Iiutrvcler, ch. Root Culture, p. 2(M, <f seq. 



