ROOT CULTURE. 163 



CHAPTER XVI. 



ROOT CULTURE. 



The advantages of root culture to the soil, in the al- 

 ternating system, have already been briefly alluded to ; but 

 this culture possesses higher claims to our notice than the 

 bare influence it has in ameliorating the soil : it consti- 

 tutes, otherwise, by far the best means of economically 

 feeding and fattening farm-stock, and adds greatly to the 

 means of fertilizing the soil. It trebles the amount of 

 cattle-food, and doubles the quantity of manure. It more- 

 over may be made to supply a large portion of human 

 food. Potatoes constitute a great portion of the bread 

 and meat of the Irish peasantry — and there are no people 

 more hale and robust than the Irish — feed their cows, fat- 

 ten their pigs and poultry, and form an article of foreign 

 commerce. The turnip has long been an important crop 

 in Germany. The beet culture in France now furnishes 

 annually a hundred millions of pounds of sugar, for human 

 consumption ; while the refuse of the crop enables the 

 French to enjoy the luxury of good beef and good mut- 

 ton, which were scarce commodities with them before the 

 beet culture was introduced. The field culture of the 

 carrot has long been profitably adopted in Flanders. In 

 the culinary, or kitchen department, the liberal use of 

 roots has in a measure become indispensable to whole- 

 some diet ; and while they are grateful to the palate, and 

 promotive of health, they greatly economize the expense 

 of bread and meat. In British husbandry, the introduc- 

 tion of root culture has been considered as important in 

 increasing the products of the soil, as the application of 

 steam has been to the improvement of the manufacturing 

 arts. We will quote here a passage from the New Edin- 

 burgh Encyclopedia in confirmation of this fact. 



" The introduction of turnips into the husbandry of 

 Britain," says this respectable work, " occasioned one of 



