66 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



getting moderate crops without much disease, and that if you 

 plant from seed so grown for a succession of years, the ten- 

 dency to disease will diminish, and ore long disappear. But in 

 the present aspect of things, it could hardly be recommended to 

 plant potatoes to such an extent as to ruin one, in case of a 

 failure. I should fear to go largely into the business, on the 

 ground, that if mine turned out well, otlier people's would also, 

 and so the price would be down ; or if theirs failed, mine would 

 also, and so I should have none to sell, whatever the price 

 might be. 



For the cultivation of root crops, I am not indiscriminately 

 an advocate. Our climate can never be as favorable to the tur- 

 nip, as that of England, and the north of Europe generally. 

 They are indebted to the Gulf Stream for their ability to raise 

 thirty, sixty and a hundred tons of turnips to the acre. The 

 turnip delights in a damp, cool climate. Our climate is the 

 reverse of theirs — has a dry atmosphere, and is subject to very 

 long periods of drought. Besides, we can grow a splendid crop 

 of corn, whenever we wish to subdue and fertilize our land for 

 after crops. This they cannot do. They are confined to the 

 turnip, as the leading, preparatory crop in their successions. 

 The turnip is essential to the success of English agriculture, but 

 is not essential to ours. Nevertheless, we can grow large crops 

 of roots, and with a pretty good degree of certainty, if we will 

 prepare our ground carefully ; and I think there are positive 

 reasons for going more largely, than has been usual with us, 

 into this kind of cultivation. Tlie roots afford a juicy, succu- 

 lent food for cattle, admirably adapted to keep the animal in a 

 healthy, growing condition ; and they are a great help to a 

 profitable consumption of the inferior qualities of hay, as also of 

 straw, corn stover, and the like ; and I believe all agree that 

 nothing is like them for increasing the home fertilizers. All 

 farmers, who have tried it faithfully, tell me tliat more stock 

 can be kept on a farm, if a part of it is made to grow roots. 

 Twenty acres of mowing land, with two acres of turnips, will carry 

 more stock through the winter than twenty-two acres of mowing 

 land. The same may be said of ruta-bagas, carrots, and other 

 roots of a like nature. They enable you to winter more stock, 

 not solely by virtue of the nutriment they contain, but because 

 they promote a healthy digestion, tJuis enabling the animal to 



