ROOT CROPS. 235 



One of your committee, who is well known for his excellent 

 farming and careful experiments, instituted a series of trials as 

 to crop and value, as compared with Indian corn, and the result 

 was decidedly in favor of Indian corn, cut green and fed out to 

 cattle. 



"We have the pleasure herewith to introduce an extract from 

 a letter to the committee from J. F. C. Hyde, Esq. Mr. Hyde 

 was one of the first to introduce the cultivation of Chinese sugar 

 cane in this section. He has been a strenuous advocate for its 

 culture, and we are glad to find the opinion of your committee 

 agrees with the experience of Mr. H., who says : — 



" I will say briefly that my half acre of sugar cane yielded 

 only ninety gallons of sirup. Did not ripen, — sirup not as good 

 as usual, — no sugar made except some grape sugar ; unripe 

 cane will produce grape sugar ; ripe cane, the cane sugar ; 

 consider it an unprofitable crop for the vicinity of a good market 

 for vegetables. The ' begasse,' or waste, is worth about $15 

 per ton for manufacturing into paper. Have no doubt that 

 sugar can be produced from ripe cane. If it should not yield 

 sugar, the sirup is valuable. I have great confidence in it as a 

 crop for the West. For fodder, I esteem it highly, though I 

 confess it costs more per ton to raise than corn fodder. It is slow 

 coming on in the spring, and it is a great deal of work to keep 

 it free of weeds." 



Eben Wight. 



ROOT CROPS. 



ESSEX. 



Statemenl of Ephraim Brown. 



I herewith submit a statement of the following crops which 

 I entar for premium : — 



Carrots. — The one-half acre of land on which these were 

 raised, was broken up two years ago last spring, with a double 

 Michigan plough, and planted with squashes, with about six 

 cords of kelp and barn mauure to the acre, spread on and har- 



