Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-11-27
AgriculturaI.
From the NewEngland Farmer
c.Daors AND RUTA BAGAs


acre Of ruta baga or carrots is, upon the
whole large quantity for any one farm.
AZ vet our farmers 10 the cultivation OF {
roots for stock, are slowly feeling their !
wav. We hope they will come right at :
last and that small experiments will en-
courage them to extend The cultivation
They will presently learn that for keep
inc stock, there are many much more
profitable crops than English hay at a ton
or ton and half TO an acre and by
turning their attention to other crops, by
whichthey will have it in their power to
keep much more stock, they will increase
their manure heaps and in this way quad
ripple, in some cases increase ten fold, the !
productiveness of their farms.
An acre in carrots may be easily made |
to WELD six hundred bushels. In the esti-
mate OF an experienced and excellent
farmer in Berkshire county, half carrots
and half oats are as good feed for horse
as all oats; or rather to use his own ex-
preston, he would prefer one hundred
bushels Of carrots and one hundred BUSH
els of oats to two hundred bushels of oats
for his horses. The experience of dis
tinguished farmer in England, in the
practice of keeping eighty horses on his
farm and in his coliery, entirely con-
firms this statement Now bushel of
carrots day with chopped straw or salt
hay, would, we have no doubt, keep a
work horse in high condition, thong h it
would probably be much better in the
case to give him in lieu of so many car
Tols, some grain or meal. Half bushel
of carrots per day, however, at twenty
five cents per bushel, cat off from the al
lowance made above, would pay for an al
lowance of peck of oats per day to
horse. Upon the superstition then, of his
keing kept in the stable six months or one
hundred and eighty-three days in sea-
son, an acre of carrots yielding six hund.
red bushels to the acre, supposing one
half to be sold at twenty-five cents per
bushel and the money expended in oats a,
thirty.seven and half cents per bushel.
to eat with the carrots, would considera-
bly, more than furnish three horses with
half a bushel of carrots each per day and
two bushels of oats per week, or more
than peck of oats per day besides thu
hall bushel of carrots Under this feed
horse would require very little long
feed OF any kind to keep him in good con-
dition
Now on the other hand, suppose the
horse has English hay, and if he is work
ed he ought TO have as many oats as in
the former case, BESIDES one horse will
consume in that time, at twenty-five
pounds per day, not less than two tons
and quarter, or the three, six tons and
three-quarters: and this can hardly be
obtained from less than seven acres of
land of ordinary yield The horses will
not, in the next place, be by any means in
so good condition; and the manure made
from this iced of not half the value as
that made in the other case.
This is, many will say, remarkable
statement, but it is well founded and not
at all exaggerated In other respects it
deserves particular consideration. There
cannot be a doubt Of the advantages, to
our animals, in respect to health and com.
fort. which the use of succulent vegeta-
bles in some proportions, would have ov-
er the dry feed, which we are accustomed
in our present mode of keeping to give
them in the winter season.
We might go on to speak of the green
vegetables for stock in winter the sugar
beet, the ruta baga, the parsnip, &c. &c.,
but 1t does not come within our design 10
treat this subject more fully at this time.
Our intention now was merely to speak
of the mode of preserving these vege:a-
bles through the winter. We say then
distinctly and emphatically, that neither
rnta baga, nor turnips, nor cabbages
should ever under any circumstances be
put in any considerable quantities in the
house cellar. The least decay produces
an offensive odor and poisons the air of
the cellar and of the house. Carrots and
beets are by no means as bad put they, if
placed in large heaps, are liable 70 be-
come heated and to decay; or otherwise
to sprout, when their nutrilive powers are
of course lessened.
We have kept them we'll in several
cases, and often known them kept we'll
by others, by pilting them in field thus.
Take dry knoll near where they were
raised; dig a trench about foot deep,
lengthwise north and south and of such
width as you choose, and then after the
tops of your carrots and ruta baga are cut
of, put them into this trench, piling them
up as high as they will lay, in the form
% h0use lVoA--uV tnlS Wnen tney are
dry: then put in light layer of straw
and cover it lightly with dirt, piercing
some holes in the top of the heap with a
crow bar, to let off the steam; and SO let
them remain until the severe frosts are
about setting liz; then put on another COW
ering Of straw and a thick covering of
earth, fastening up the south end with
several bundles of straw, which can be
removed at pleasure. They may be put