ROOTS. 155 



may add that the sheep meets this sentiment more closely 

 than any other domestic animal. 



ROOTS. 



Roots of various kinds are one of the most valuable of 

 the succulent feeding crops for the flock. They are easily 

 grown, are exceedingly productive, yielding under good cul- 

 ture from twelve to thirty tons to the acre, and may be kept 

 when properly stored all the Winter; and some of them as 

 kite the next year as July. They are the most economical 

 feed for sheep, for one reason especially, which is that the 

 matter of them is perfectly digestible and there is no loss 

 by waste in this respect. They may be cheaply grown under 

 the right culture, which consists of a fertile soil well 

 manured, during the Winter, or liberally fertilized in the 

 Spring. Fall plowing is desirable as the second plowing in 

 the Spring thoroughly fines the soil, and mixes the decayed 

 manure applied previously with the soil. It is desirable 

 to give two harrowings, one immediately after the Spring 

 plowing, and the second in two or three weeks after, 

 and immediately before the seed is sown, so as to check the 

 growth of weeds as much as possible, and force a rapid 

 start of the young plants. This is especially desirable on ac- 

 count of the tender growth of them, and the slight root hold 

 taken on the soil, by which too early a disturbance of the 

 soil is injurious to the crop, if dry weather should occur. 



Six pounds of seed is sufficient, but the drill should be 

 used for the seeding. For extensive culture, double drills 

 are used by which two rows are sown at once. The rows 

 should be from sixteen inches (for beets) to twenty-four or 

 thirty (for turnips or mangels-) apart, giiving ample room 

 for the use of the cultivator for working the crops. It is es- 

 pecially necessary that the seed should be fresh, especially 

 as to the beets and mangels, the capsules in which the seed 

 is enclosed frequently being eaten into by mice, and the 

 small seed within them being eaten out. This is frequently 

 the cause of thin seeding, by .which a large part of the crop 

 may be lost. The young plants are thinned out to twelve 

 inches in the rows for all the kinds except sugar beets, 

 which need but ten inches of space between the plants. 

 The extra plants are cut out with a sharp hoe, when the 



