ROOT CROPS. 201 



has been brought into leaf, takes a great portion of its nutri- 

 ment from the atmosphere, leaving a large part of the manure 

 which lias been necessarily applied to it to force its early- 

 growth for the crop that shall follow. The expense of cultiva- 

 tion need be no greater than for any crop of half its value, if 

 proper drills and horse hoes are used;* and there is nothing 

 which repays the care and attention bestowed upon it so well. 

 The advantage to the farmer by the cultivation of roots has 

 been briefly but exceedingly well stated in the Report of the 

 Secretary of the Board of Agriculture for the present year,f 

 while at the same time we learn from it how completely it is 

 neglected. The smallness of the prizes offered by our agri- 

 cultural societies for root crops is also another indication of the 

 little attention that is given to them.:}: 



It follows of necessity, almost, that if we increase the cultiva- 

 tion of roots we shall likewise add to our stock of cattle and 

 sheep, with a view to the most profitable disposition of them. 

 Under our present system, where we rely entirely upon our 

 pastures in summer, and on hay and corn fodder in winter, to 

 keep our stock, it not unfrequently happens that a failure in 



* Turnips are sown in England by a drill drawn by horse power, sowing several 

 rows at the same time, and manuring by the same operation. After they have 

 come into the rough leaf they are horse hoed, the machine used being worked by one 

 horse, the wheels running the same width as those for the drill machine, and hoe- 

 ing perfectly the same number of drills. The same instrument can be widened or 

 narrowed to work across the drills, cutting out the plants at equal distances, so that 

 nothing more is required to be done by hand than pick out the few plants left too 

 close together after the cross hoeing. This instrument works so accurately that it 

 is used between the rows of drilled wheat, barley, rye, and oats. It will weed thor- 

 oughly eight or ten acres in a day, and is drawn by one horse, and attended by one 

 man, with a boy to lead the horse. With these two machines twelve acres of turnips, 

 at least, can be cultivated at an expense of labor not much greater than we should 

 be forced to apply to one, in order to have the work as well done. The same ma- 

 chines can be altered to sow corn and to hoe it, or any other kind of grain or seed. 



t There is an evident misprint or omission in the valuable Report of the Secre- 

 tary of the Board of Agriculture at page 37. It reads, " Nearly three millions of 

 acres (in England) are annually appropriated to the turnip crop, and the annual 

 value of this crop amounts to nearly two millions." It should probably read two 

 hundred millions. 



% The prizes awarded for crops in Massachusetts for 1853 amounted to two thou- 

 sand seven hundred and eighty-four dollars and sixteen cents, of which turnips 

 received thirteen dollars and fifty cents. 

 26* 



