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lent to two tons of hay, when fed to milch cows. This fact has been 

 demonstrated over and over again, and is accepted and acknowledged 

 by many, who till lately were skeptics in regard to their worth. Then 

 when we consider the enormous weiglit — say from twenty-live to fifty 

 tons — that can be raised on an acre, compared to the weight of hay 

 raised on the same acre of land, it is evident at once, that economy 

 will soon follow, where science and health now lead the way. 



I have had experience in cultivating only a few of the many kinds 

 of roots, and therefore I will not go into any definite statements in 

 regard to the mode of culture, or manner of handling only tliose few, 

 leaving to others who have had experience in others, to give us their 

 opinion in relation to each. And first, let me call your attention to 



THE TURNIP. 



This is the easiest and most genei-ally grown root in New England. 

 It is also one with which we have been acquainted from our boyhood, 

 and who does not remember how he used to get his father's jack-knife 

 and pare off the skin of a medium sized turnip, and then slice off the 

 mouthfuls at leisure. One of my youthful recollections is that of tak- 

 ing a load of turnips and peddling them out, with the incredible state- 

 ment posted on the side of the wagon by my gi-audfather, of "eighty 

 bushels to the acre among corn.'" 



The turnip will grow on all varieties of soil, from sand down 

 through muck aud clay, but the flat varieties succeed best on sandy 

 or light loam, while the ruta bagas or Swedes like a heavy one. Two 

 kinds only I would recommend. The ruta baga should be got in 

 early, sowed thick in rows or in a bed, and transplanted, leaving a 

 sufficient number growing where they originally stood, to cover the 

 ground. The "purple top strap leaf" has given me the most satis- 

 faction of any of the late kinds that I have tried, and I think it the 

 best to sow after peas,, early potatoes, or other first crops are off the 

 ground. Some may question the idea of sowing the Swedish turnip 

 in rows where it shall stand till it matures. I know it is more work 

 to raise them this way than to transplant, but you get a great deal 

 better article. 



In regard to getting turnips too thick : If you use a machine to sow 

 them with, and it invariably puts in about twice as much seed as you 

 would wish to have grow, and so makes a great deal of labor in thin- 

 ning, it is easy to take your seed and divide it into two equal parts, 

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