308 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



cially adapted for forage purposes because of the large yields they 

 give. From two to three pounds of turnip seed and four to five pounds of 

 rutabaga seed per acre are required. The seed may be either drilled or 

 broadcasted, although in case of rutabages drilling is decidedly preferable. 

 The preparation of the ground, planting and method of tillage is very simi- 

 lar to that given mangels. As turnips make their growth in two or three 

 months, they may be seeded late in the summer and yet mature before 

 frost. Rutabagas require more time for maturity and should be sown in 

 May or June. 



Turnips do not keep well and should be fed in the fall and early winter. 

 Rutabagas, on the other hand, keep through the winter without difficulty. 

 The methods of storage are similar to those for rutabages. 



Carrots. — This crop is less extensively used for forage purposes, chiefly 

 because it yields less abundantly than rutabagas and mangels. It makes 



VFA/T/LATOR 



Cross Section of an Easily Constructed Pit for Roots. 1 



an excellent quality of feed and calls for about the same soil conditions and 

 cultural methods as the other root crops. The roots are much smaller and 

 consequently there should be more of them in a given area. From four to 

 six pounds of seed per acre are required. It should be drilled in rows, and 

 the plants should ultimately stand two or three inches apart in the row. 



Parsnip. — This crop requires a rich, fertile soil, and demands the same 

 cultural methods as the carrot. The roots of the parsnip may be dug late 

 in the fall and stored or allowed to remain where grown and dug as required 

 for use. Whether they are allowed to remain in the field will be determined 

 largely by winter conditions and the possibilities of digging them in the 

 winter time. When used as human food, the freezing of the roots improves 

 their flavor. 



Cabbage. — While this crop is grown chiefly for human consumption, 

 in some sections of the country it is extensively grown for forage purposes. 

 The usual method of storing cabbage is to dig a trench about eighteen inches 



1 From Farmers' Bulletin 465, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



