Nebraska advertiser., 1857-02-19
4epartnent.
CABBAGE, TURNIPs AND OTHER ROOT
CROPS.


The quantity per acre Of cabbages,
turnips, and roots that under favorable
circumstances can be grown upon an
acre of land, is truly astonishing. The
amount and value of green food for
farm stock, that can be raised on an
acre Of ground, we think is not well
understood by a large majority of our
farmers. It is generally thought that
our climate, fromits liability to drought
lin summer and autumn,) is not so ia
Torable to the production of turnips,
root crops, &C., as the more humid
climate Of England, Scotland and Ire
land. This, to some extent, may be
true; but still we have hundreds of well
authenticated statements, showing most
clearly that the several kinds of vege-
tables usually grown for autumn and
winter feeding of COWS and other farm
stock, can generally, by good culture,
be proftably grown in most sections Of
our country. But in order to do this,
the due preparations Of the ground,
the proper season of sowing the seed,
and the after-culture, should all be
well understood and attended in due
season.
Farmers, it is said, have strong pre-
iudices, and are slow to adopt new
systems of culture, and perhaps this
may partly account for the little at
tention that is usually paid by them
to the growing of cabbage, turnips,
and other root crops for their stock.
But all readily admit that the health,
thrift and well being of our horses,
sheep and cattle, would be greatly
promoted by a regular daily allowance
Of green succulent food, in connection
with the dry forage they are usually
kept upon through our long cold win
tiers. And no less true is it, that the
quantity and quality of milk, cream
and butter of an herd of COWS, would
be greatly augmented by a good sup
ply of sueculent food, such as cabbage,
rape, green corn fodder, Tor perhaps
better, Chinese sugar cane) during the
usually dry autumnal months.
In England, Scotland and Ireland,
the cultivation of green crops-that is
cabbage, rape, turnips, roots, &C., en-
ters very largely into their systems Of
farming, and the quantity raised is
enormous. At the annual winter
show Of the Royal Dublin Society,
holden In Dublin I'd week of Dec,
premiums were awarded for the best
crops Of turnips, %wurzels, beets, car
rots, parsnips, kohl rabi, cabbages,
and various other crops. But here
We only give the weight per acre of
the above named. 1t is proper here to
say that the English or statute acre
contains $40 square yards-the Irish
acre contains 7,840 square yards.
Swedish Furuips, first prize to DIR.
Radclif 40 tons farm-yard manure
per acre-produce6 5 tons-seed sown
iastweek in May. The second prize
awarded for AZ tons per acre-26 tons
farm-yard manure per acre seed
sown Sd of June. Premiums for Eur-
zels-three several crops. two Of sc
tons each per Irish acre, and for one
of ffty-fye tons-farm-yard manure
only used. Prize for 81 tons sugar
beet-48 tons f~arm-yard manure PEI
acre. Three prizes for carrots, viz
for Sc, IS and 26 tons per acre. White
carrots, As tons z cwt.-45 and 8:
tons per acre. Parsnips 30 tons. Kohl
rabi-drills % inches apart-40 tonI
manure-sown in May last, 40 ton.
and "a tons per acre. Cabbage, tw,
prizes For so and so tons per acre. I
is worthy of note that in all thes,
trials, none other than farm-yard ma
.nure was used.
It might nOtbe good policy for Am
erican farmers to 60 so largely int,
the culture Of green crops as is don,
in the countries above named. On,
reason is, our winters requiring the,
should, like potatoes, be stored beyon,
the reach Of frost. This would max.
it inconyenient storing very larg
quantities, but almost every farme
could so arrange as to secure a FEY
hundred bushels for winter feeding t
his stock. Cabbage and rape may b
raised SO as to be fed to mich COW
from early in June till November; an
large quantities can readily be save
for spring use by opening trenche
with a pillow, and burying them in tn
trench, ehead downward We coul
cite from the Reports and TransaC
tons Of Agricultural Societies, hun
.dreds Of statements proving beyon
all cavil, the advantage and profit {
growing cabbages, turnips, beets, cal
rots, parsnips and wurzels, for stoc
feeding.
We have alluded to this subject !;
this time, for the purpose of calm
the attention Of farmers to it at thi
comparativ leisure season of the yea,
It is a good time to lay their PLAN
nrocure seeds. &c for the comin