VALUE OF THE ROOT CROP. 
How To Grow It. 
Part I. 
PLACE OF ROOTS IN RATION.—Without doubt 
a very large number of farmers throughout the 
country are considering the question of including 
some form of root crop in the feeding ration for the 
stock upon the farm. That roots used as part of the 
Winter ration are in every way desirable and bene¬ 
ficial will not be denied by anyone who has used them, 
and furthermore, it has been demonstrated over and 
over again that by adding a liberal supply of roots 
valuable than the percentages indicated in the ordinary 
feeding tables. One can readily understand why this 
may be true when it is remembered that ordinary 
pasture grass, in the Spring, is credited with but com¬ 
paratively small feeding value according to our latest 
tables, and yet we all know how the cows increase 
their flow of milk and the horse takes on flesh and 
puts on a shining coat, when turned out to grass in 
the Spring. 
VALUE OF PALATABILITY.—With all due re¬ 
spect for the scientific gentlemen who have so ably 
worked out our feeding tables, I should say that they 
eluded the roots, was reduced by at least one-third. 
EXPERIENCE WITH MANGELS.—After several 
years of experience I have come to the conclusion 
that mangel wurzel beets, the largest that can be 
grown, are the most desirable root crop for the 
farmer to grow for feeding purposes. Every animal 
upon the farm (except the horse) will eat them 
greedily and show beneficial results therefrom, in¬ 
cluding the cows, sheep, hogs and chickens, and I 
doubt if an equal amount of food can be produced 
more cheaply for Winter use. Last season I planted 
two acres of mangel wurzel beets known as Giant 
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THE TREE AGENT HAS HOOKED ONE FARMER AND THE OTHER IS BITING. Fig. 221. 
ihe feed bill will be very materially reduced. Every 
domestic animal seems to enjoy a regular feed of 
loots during the Winter season, and when such ration 
is supplied, the improved health and general appear¬ 
ance of the animal can readily be observed. It is 
irue that the feeding value of roots is not high when 
compared with grain; nevertheless, when fed in con¬ 
junction with other feeds the effect seems to render 
them quite as important and valuable as any other 
p ut of the ration. The root ration seems to have the 
Atect of aiding the digestion and assimilation of the 
"ther foods to a degree which far surpasses the actual 
feeding value of the root crop when considered by 
lts elf. Hence it must be considered much more 
have overlooked one very important factor in de¬ 
termining feeding rations, viz: “palatability.” In other 
words, the food most enjoyed by the animal is gen¬ 
erally the best food for that animal if fed in proper 
quantities in combination with other foods. To 
illustrate: It has been demonstrated scientifically 
that a horse will do more work when fed upon 
a bushel of carrots in combination with a bushel of 
oats, than when fed two bushels of oats without the 
carrots. Likewise, I have often observed that I was 
able to secure more milk from my cows when fed 
10 pounds of grain per day with one-half bushel of 
beets, than when 20 pounds of grain without the beets, 
and in both cases the cost of the ration, which in- 
V el low Eckendorf, and harvested 3,00u UUaliUU in 
October. It will readily be seen that I secured a 
crop exceeding 40 tons per acre, which is far in 
excess of any crop which I can raise, not excepting 
my best crop of silage corn. Many hundreds of 
bushels were fed to my hogs, chickens and other 
animals during the past Winter, and the remainder 
sold at $8 per ton for the larger part to neighboring 
farmers who desired them for dairy use. But some 
may ask, how one secures such a tremendous'growth 
I can only say that it seems easy to me, they just 
grow. True, I have some very definite notions as to 
how the land should be prepared and the crop tilled, 
and I will describe the process joiin m’lennan. 
