168 



SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



The longer the winter period, the greater the need for succulent food 

 for livestock during the stabling period. For this reason there is more 

 need of such foods in the northern part of the United States and in Canada 

 than farther south where the season for plant growth is longer. Many of 

 the root crops are adapted to a short growing season where corn cannot be 

 successfully grown. 



Numerous experiments on the relative cost of producing corn and roots 

 show that corn is the cheaper source of feed wherever it can be successfully 



A LOAD or MANGELS, NOTE SIZE AND CHAKACTEK OF RooTs. 1 



grown. The root crops require more labor than corn in culture, harvesting 

 and feeding. Less of the work can be done by labor-saving machinery. 

 It is for this reason chiefly that they are the more expensive source of suc- 

 culent food. Roots have the advantage in that they may be grown in 

 small quantities for small numbers of livestock when it would not be 

 practicable to have a silo. They also fit well into crop rotations and the 

 tillage required by them leaves the soil in excellent condition for crops that 

 follow. 



Utilization and Feeding Value. The root crops are best utilized for 

 dairy cattle, especially during the winter period. The various roots differ 

 considerably in their percentage of dry matter and feeding value. Sugar 



1 Courtesy of Webb Publishing Company, St. Paul, Minn. From "Field Crops," by Wilson and 

 Warburtpn, 



