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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



CULTURE OF ROOTS. 



The attention of the reader is called to an arti- 

 cle in another column on "Root Crops." Those 

 who are making arrangements for a dairy busi- 

 ness, especially, -will find it advantageous to look 

 thoroughly into the matter of raising roots as a 

 part of the feed for their milch cows. Experience 

 has convinced us of their great utility for this pur- 

 pose. Our crop of roots of various kinds has 

 sometimes amounted to fifteen hundred bushels 

 in a season, which have been fed to horses, milch 

 and dry cows, hens and swine, — and to all of 

 them in a raw state excepting the latter. 



Their effect upon horses was to keep the hair 

 soft and glossy, and they took the place of grain, 

 entirely, unless in cases where the animals were 

 worked daily. With the dry cows, they saved 

 considerable hay, and at the same time kept the 

 appetite good, and the general condition of the 

 animal excellent. The effect upon the milch cows 

 was to increase the flow of milk and add to its 

 richness, which will be found a matter worthy of 

 consideration at the prices which butter is likely 

 to bring for some time to come. In feeding them 

 to swine, they were boiled, salted, and mixed with 

 corn meal, and several kinds of roots included in 

 the same mess. But perhaps no better use was 

 made of them than feeding them to poultry. 

 Twenty-five fowls will eat one large mangold 

 weighing two or three pounds, daily, if the top is 

 cut off and the remainder made fast so that it will 

 not move about when they peck it off. 



The mangold may be raised very cheaply. The 

 soil can be mostly prepared with the plow and 

 harrow, after the first weeding and thinning by 

 some of the improved implements which the ge- 

 nius of the mechanic has provided for us. They 

 should be planted in rows two and a half feet 

 apart at least, so that the rough part of the culti- 

 vation may be done with the horse and cultiva- 

 tor, until the leaves have extended so as to be in 

 the way. The plants should stand one foot apart 

 in the rows, if it is desired to have them grow to 

 a large size, — if not, eight inches will answer. 

 Follow the horse cultivator with the common 

 wheel hoe, or what is better than any -other imple- 

 ment, we have ever seen, "Harrington's Hand 

 Cultivator." A man will soon run, over an acre 

 with this Cultivator, and leave it in a most com- 

 plete and beautiful finish. It is light, durable, and 

 efficient. It is easy to work with, as the person 

 using it stoops very little as he passes along. 



The next root crop which we should recom- 

 mend as prolific and easy of culture would be the 

 blood turnip beet. It is thought by those who 

 have cultivated this root quite largely that it will 

 Held as many pounds per acre as the mangold. 

 I is hardy, not particularly subject to attacks by 



worms or insects, and when produced is nutritious 

 and highly relished by all the farm stock. In ad- 

 dition to this, if they grow fair, and of regular 

 size, they are as profitable a crop for the market 

 as any that the farmer takes there. 



The culture of the Sivedes turnip is more com- 

 mon and more generally understood. We do not 

 rank it so high as the mangold or the turnip beet. 

 It is a great exhauster of the soil. 



The carrot is an excellent root, — all the stock 

 like it, and it is especially excellent for horses. 

 For their use, we should prefer 75 lbs. of grain 

 and-25 lbs. of carrots, to 100 lbs. of grain. They 

 not only keep the hair, but the eyes bright, and 

 the whole % system in excellent condition. 



As an offset to the extra amount of labor re- 

 quired to cultivate an acre in roots, the farmer 

 must look at the great increase in value which he 

 receives from that acre over his best crops of 

 English hay. There is, also, another important 

 point to be considered, as it is not the amount of 

 nutriment, alone, that is required. Upon our ta- 

 bles we use a variety of food, and consider it es- 

 sential to health, and it certainly gratifies the pal- 

 ate. Is it not reasonable that the lower animals 

 enjoy variety as well P This variety may not af- 

 ford more nutriment than as many pounds of hay 

 or grain, and yet be far more serviceable to the 

 animal. 



We are quite confident that our farmers can 

 raise and use more root crops than they do, and 

 find it profitable. 



SWINE AND MANURE. 



It is for the interest of the farmer to raise his 

 own pork, as well as other meats. We believe 

 this should be laid down as a general rule, by a 

 large majority of farmers, not only to raise their 

 own pork and all other meats, but just so far as 

 is possible, everything of the eatable kind that is 

 required for his own use. This course furnishes 

 the table at once, and seasonably, with a supply 

 of fresh and wholesome articles, without going 

 through the long mercantile process of carrying 

 to market, selling and purchasing, or exchanging 

 for what is wanted. 



This point, however, is only an incidental one 

 now. Our present purpose is to speak of swine 

 as manufacturers of manure. The views of a 

 majority of farmers are directly in opposition to 

 our own, in this respect. We prefer to keep 

 swine for the pork they will yield, and not for the 

 work they will perform on the manure heap. 

 We like those medium sized, compact, symmetri- 

 cal breeds, that will take on flesh and fat rapidly, 

 compared with the amount of food they eat ; 

 hogs that are of a quiet disposition, and that, 

 when they have filled themselves, will lie down 

 and sleep, and grow lustily. Others say, — "the 



