134 REPORT OF THE 



[From the Albany Cultivator.] 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ROOT CULTURE. 



The committee appointed at the last meeting of the 

 society, to " Report on the best vegetable or root crops 

 for' feeding cattle, and the best means of cultivating 

 the same," report as follows : 



The culture of roots, as farm crops, for feeding and 

 fattening domestic animals, is of such recent introduc- 

 tion, and so limited, among us, and the few experi- 

 ments that have been made to ascertain the relative 

 value of these roots have been so loosely managed, 

 that the committee do not possess the data that they 

 could desire, to make a satisfactory report, adapted ex- 

 actly to our practice. But they are nevertheless satis- 

 fied, from the numerous experiments which haVe been 

 made in Europe, in a climate very similar to our own, 

 and from the partial ones which have been made 

 among us, that the culture of roots is destined to effect 

 here, what it has effected elsewhere, a great and 

 salutary change in husbandry; not only as furnishing 

 the easiest and cheapest means of feeding and fatten- 

 ing domestic animals, but as an important source of 

 fertility to the farm, and of securing the main point, 

 ultimate profit, to the OAvner or cultivator. 



Under these strong impressions of the advantages of 

 encouraging and extending root culture, your commit- 

 tee proceed, with the limited means at their command, 

 to fulfil the duties assigned to them by the society. 



The Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland have 

 recently awarded liberal premiums for experiments in 

 fattening neat cattle ; firsts upon different kinds of 

 roots, as the potato, turni]), and mangold-wurtzel ; 

 second, upon raw and cooked food ; and, thhd, upon 

 roots entirely, and a mixture of roots, grain, pulse, and 

 oil-cake. These experiments have been made with a 



