296 



VALUE OF ROOT-CROPS. 



be sold from off the land), and the returns for cattle fed upon 

 it, whether in the shape of meat, butter, or cheese. To cal- 

 culate otherwise would be absurd. Farmers cannot be market- 

 gardeners ; and, T repeat, that the value of carrots, potatoes, 

 and mangel-wurzel is ascertained, not at the green-grocer's, 

 but at the butcher's stall. 



Had the roots been converted into meat, rather than sold, 

 the carrots, according to my experience, would, instead of 11/., 

 have realized about II. ]6s. The potatoes, instead of 11/., 

 about 11. 175.; and the mangel-wurzel, instead of 21. \0s., 

 about I6s. 6d., or 4/. 9s. 6d. for the half-acre of roots, instead 

 of 24/. 145., being at the rate of 8/. 19s., instead of 49/. 85., 

 per acre. 



I submit this calculation to the practical farmer, and I 

 should be glad to have it corrected if necessary. But I venture 

 to hazard an opinion that 71. per acre for roots of any kind 

 will be found an extreme sum, unless incorporated with other 

 ingredients, as I have shown in my reply to " Cincinnatus." 



Let an}^ person who may doubt, try the experiment upon an 

 average-sized bullock ; he will then be able to form a just 

 estimate of such statements as are contained in the letter now 

 under consideration, and to discover that, instead of a shilling 

 per bushel for carrots, and six-pence for mangel-wurzel, two- 

 pence would have been sufficient ; and, instead of two shillings 

 per bushel for potatoes, four-pence would have been too much. 



The calculation, according to my experience, ought to stand 

 thus : — 



Half an acre of flax, consisting of 8 bushels of seed, at £. s. d. 



85. per bushel . . . . . . .340 



And 15 cwt. of stalks, containing 15 stone of fibre, at 



Ss. per stone . . . . . . . 6 



Chaff, tow, and broken stalks . . . . . 10 



£10 4 



i acre of carrots — 220 bushels, at 2c?. per 



bushel £1 16 5 



i acre of potatoes and mangel-wurzel — 112 



bushels of potatoes, at 4</. per bushel . 1 17 4 



100 bushels of mangel-wurzel, at 2d. per 



bushel 16 8 



4 10 5 



Balance in favour of flax . . . £5 13 7 



