1863. 



XEW ENGLAND F.\RMER. 



125 



A vote of thanks was presented to Farmer 

 .Sheldon, of Wilmington, for a basket of apples 

 of a new variety. It being nameless, it was vot- 

 ed to call it the "Sheldon Apple," 



On Monday evening, March 16th, was held the 



Mr. Warren, of Auburn, said the raising of 

 roots in Worcester county had been tried and 

 abandoned. Carrots for horses are too debilitat- 

 ing. He could never mcrease the quantity of milk 

 by feeding carrots to cows. Cattle can be kept 

 . ,, ^ ^. . ^. ,. , ,. , cheaper on hay than anvthing else. Swamp hay 



ninth meeting of this series. Subject of discus- is ruled out for feeding cattle? 

 sion. Boot Culture. Some of the speakers, we notice, spoke of the 



Mr. Hubbard said he had raised nine tons of. ^™ount of water contained in rooU as an argu- 

 ruta bagas on a little more than half an acre of j ™^^^ against their use. This does not seem to 

 land. Ploughed in green manure. }J^ ^f sound reasonmg. The potato, for instance, 



Mr. Howard advocated root culture, because i ^^ '*^ \>i^& in 1C»0 of water, yet, who would re- 

 roots are promotive of health in animals fed on ^^ ^° cultivate this root because it is three-quar- 

 them. The horse is ven* much benefited bv car- ^^" water ? The potato, we esteem as one of the 

 rots. The carrot improves the quality of 'milL I ™°^^ wholesome articles of diet known to man- 

 A loose soil is best suited to the growing of car- [ ^^ contains just about the right proportions of 

 rots. Swedes grow better on tenacious soils, i °"tritive matter to the bulk. .\ man could prob- 

 The common EngUsh turnip is easily grown and i ^^^5* ^^^ ^^^ labor for months — perhaps years — 

 about as good as any of them. "P°" potatoes, salt and water. A dog will live, 



Mr. Hl-bbard, of Sunderland, said swamp ' ^ ^^if ''^' ^^T\^^ days, fed only upon flour 

 muck is favorable to the growth of English tur- f^^?'but we doubt not he would live long and 

 nips. He top-dressed a sandv hill with muck and • ^°^'^' "P?°.^ plentiful supply of mealv potatoes, 

 grew a fine crop of turnips. " Farmers turn over ' -/f ^ ^^^, ^'^ "^^ -^°?^ ^^"^f. o"- nothing of the 

 sward land from the last of June to the loth of, J?'^ Pnnciple,or pnnciple of life, that lies bevond 

 Julv and raise a good crop of turnips, after hav-l ^?^^ component parts of the food we produce, 

 ingtaken off a crop of hav. f"^^ ^?J ™^ V }f^^' The strong probability 



Mr. Flint did not succeed in growing carrots f "-^^y ^ "^'^ '^"^^^ ^V^te tne water of potato 

 owin? to weeds. Manured lands are subject J ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^<^^l^ parts, and eat and dnnk them 

 weeds: therefore, before trying to grow roots, this ! ^P^'^i^l""^ should soon die -whereas, eaung 

 ■ Concentrated ma- ; ^^ ^ ^od has prepared it, we should grow hearty 

 and strong. 



subject should be considered, 

 nures will in a measure overcome this difficultv. 

 He recommended the parsnip. He was unable to 

 see why the sugar beet should not be grown here 

 for making sugar. 



Mr. Wetherell, of Boston, said, that the 

 question that seems to underlie the subject, is, 

 whether it is economical to grow roots at all, for 

 feeding cattle. He had doubts on the subject. 

 He believed the com crop a more profitable one 

 for feeding cattle than a root crop. 



Mr. Drew, of Boston, said he grew three bush- 

 els of turnips as easy as one of carrots. 



This is the usual mistake made in regard to 

 feeding roots to cattle. Why, we are nearly all 

 water ourselves. A stout man has only about 30 

 pounds of solid matter, and yet he would be es- 

 teemed exceedingly palatable and nutritious to 

 some folks, after all ! 



Wool Growing. — The attention of the reader 

 is called to an article of unusual interest, on tliis 

 subject, on another page. It is bora, the pen of 

 He re- a gentleman thoroughly acquainted with his sub- 

 commended roots for cattle. He could not re- ject, one who has had long and intimate acquaint- 

 comraend farmers to grow carrots. Concerning | ^^^ ^^^ j^^ The article was written at our special 

 turmas he had muah confidence in them for teed-: , , .,, , , , , , 



ing cattle, as he learned from his own experienc-e. . ^<\'^^^^^ and we hope wiU be succeeded by others 



Mr. SiiiTH, of Granbv, did not believe the root ' °° ^^^ "^^ . ^^""^^^ subjects. Our Vermont 

 crop so profitable for him as growing com. He friends, especially, are requested to give the aru- 

 thought the English would not grow roots il they i cle their candid consideration. They may find in 

 could grow corn. it the germ of the highest improvements in the 



Mr. Tower, of Lanesboro' spoke highly of production of sheep and wool 



root culture, appealing to Enghsh practice m con- ^ '^ 



firmation. He could raise 600 bushels of turnips Cattle Breeders' Convention.— The Cattle 

 per acre, and sell them for 25 cents a bushel. If Breeders* Association met, elected oflicers, raised 

 cows are fed immediately after they are milked, three hundred dollars bv subscription, discussed 

 the milk will not taste of turnips. breeds, and adjourned to'Worcester a vear hence, 



Mr. Morton, of Wiliiamsburgh, spoke of the . all on Wednesdav, March 4th, at Hartford. The 

 effects of carrots and mta bagas on the soil, the greatest enthusiasm was manifested over the solid 

 latter being injurious to the following crop. He basis of the .\ssociation. It is an American affair, 

 preferred carrots for cows, as turnips make the originating in New England, and its sole object is 

 milk taste of them. He had grown carrots on the protection of breeders and the public from 

 the same piece of ground for 12 years. imposition by pedigrees. Anv pedigree worth in- 



Mr. Flower said he would not grow carrots sertin? in the societv's list is examined for a small 

 as an infringement upon the corn crop. i fee, which is refunded if they are rejected- The 



Mr. Wetherell said English authority as following officers were elected : H. H. Peters, of, 

 quoted to indorse the economy of root culture is Southboro', President ; E. H. Hyde, B. F. An- 

 not pertinent to this country, as there they cannot drews, H. G. White, A. 0. Cummins and Peleg 

 grow Indian com, as we can here. He spoke ol Winslow, Vice-Presidents ; H. \. Dyer, Secrtta- 

 the value of com fodder from an acre of ground \ ry and Treasurer ; J. S. .\llea and C. F. Pond, 

 as equal to the hay that would grow thereon. I Auditors. 



