Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-06-19
ROOTS FOR STOCK.

TIE VALUE OF RooTs COMPARED WITT
Hay. On this subject there are various
opinions, and as root culture is comparative
ly recent in this country, We cannot make
any estimate satisfactory to ourselves. Our
opinion of to-day may DC changed on fur
ther experience, observations, and by the
opinions and experiments of observing far
mers,
Some farmers say one ton of hay and one
of roots are worth as much as two tons of hay
others say two tons Of roots, and others three
and others four tons are equal to a ton of
hay. Who shall decide! We cannot, among
so many different opinions, get Il medium
between the wide extremes.
We will reckon two and a half tons OF
roots equal to a ton oihay for stock, though
we think that when the quantity Of roots is
not large compared with the hay. that the
quantity of roots for a ton of hay is large ;
but in speaking tavorably of root culture we
would make safe calculations.
We will reckon 10 bushels of roots 10 the
ton, 10000 pounds) which will be 80 pounds
to the bushel. Most kinds of roots weigh
more than this. We have weighed potatoes
and find that they weigh 64 or 65 pounds to
the bushcl. By statute of Maine they must
weigh 65 lbs. to the bushel. Large sugar
bccts and heavy turneps will weigh over 90
lbs. to the bushel. But small beetS, turneps,
carrots and parsencps, if the roots be very
long, will weigh much less. As potatoes are
round, or nearly so, a bushcl of small ones
will weigh a little more than large ones, as
we have found by experiments. We think
that for roots of different kinds and sizes that
the average weight will be about so lbs. to
the busliel.
The VALUE OF RooTs COMPARED WITH
GRAIN. On this subject too, opinions are We
nv different. A calculation suited to a me-
dunn between extremes would be four BUSH
els of roots to one Of corn-threc or three
and a half bushels to one of barley-two
bushels to one of oats. We do not give this
estimate with great confidence in its correct
ness intelligent farmers differ much on eth
cr side.
TIE OF RooTs COMPARED WITH
GRAIN AND HAY. In a preceding number VIC
stated that an acre ofland that would produce
fifty bushels of corn would produce 600 bush
els of roots. The crop of roots being equa
to one of corn, the produce of an acre o
roots would furnish three times the iooc
for stock that would be furnished from al
acre of corn, and the expense of %raisin!
would differ but little.
Besides the greater profit in getting tire,
times as much food from roots, the roots vii
exhaust the soil much less than grain, am
there will be the double advantage in i'm
proving the farm by less exhaustion and hav
ing three times the manure to apply to thu
soil.
A ton and a half ofhay per acre is proba
bly, as large a crop as 600 bushels of roots
and if one ton hay be equal to two and a Ina
tons, or 100 bushels of roots, then the pro
duce of an acre in roots is four times as niue
as it is in hay: of course the root crop woul
produce four times as much manure to en-
rich the land, while the crop is no more eA
hausting than that of hay.
If root cultivation be entered into largel,
= farmers would not find it necessary 10 rails
less hay as their stock would be greatly il
creased and would be fed partially on Ina,
but the improved condition of land consC
qucnt on roots would produce the sam
amount of hay on less land. Nor would
be necessary for the farmer to raise lie,
grain, excepting for stock, for his land woul
gradually become richer and more produ'
tive so that no could raise as much grain an
hay as usual, and yet raise large q~uantitie
o froots without cultivating any more lane
All kinds of crops might be doubled, or in
GLIDING roots there might be raised twice til
amount of produce from the same farm an
5 twice as much stock could be kept, and
better con 'ition too, then of course tliol