The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-02-13
asritultarul.


Cabbage, Turnips and other Root Crops
The quantity Of cabbasss, turnips and
roots that under favorable circumstances car
be grown upon an acre Of lasd, Is truly ~
tonishing. The amount and value of green
food for farm stock, that can be raised on
an acre Of ground, we think is not we'll un-
derstood by a large majority Of our farmers.
It is generally thought tha, our climate,
from its liability to drought lin summer and
autumn,) is not 80 favorable to the produc-
tion Of turnips, root crops, &C.. as the more
humid climate Of England, Scotland and
Ireland. This, to some extent may be true
but still we have hundreds Of well authenti.
Gated statements. showing most clearly that
the several kinds Of vegetables usually grown
for autumn and winter feeding Of COWS and
other farm stock, can generally, by good
culture, be pro6tably grown in most sections
Of our country. But in order to do this, the
due preparation Of the ground, the proper
season Of sowing the seed, and the after-cul-
ture, should all DO well understood and at
tended to in due season.
Farmers, il is said, have strong prejudiees
and are slow to adopt new systems Of cul-
tura, and perhaps this may partly account
for the little attention 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 bc greatly promoted by regular
daily allowance ofgrecn succulcnt food, in
connection with the dry forage they are
usually kept upon through our long, Geld
winters. 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 supply Of succulent
food, such as cabbage. rape, green corn fod-
der, (or 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., enters very largely
into their systems Of farming, and the guam
tity raised is enormous. At the annual
winter show Of the Royal Dublin Society,
holden in Dublin, 2d week Of December,
premiums were awarded for the best crops
Of turnips, wurzels, bcets, carrots, 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
4,Si0 square yards-the Irish acre contains
7,Si0 square yards.
Swedish turnips, frst prize to DR.. Rad
clia-4O tons iarm-yard manure per acre
produce 65 tons-seed sown last week 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
wurzels-three several crops, two Of 80 tons
each FER Irish acre, and for one Of ffty-fve
tons-iarm-yard manure only used. Prize
for 81 tons sugar beet-IS tons farin-yard
manure per acre. Three prizes for carrots,
viz for Sc, IS, and 20 tons per acre. White
carrots IS tons : cwt-i5 and 33 tons per
acre. Parsnips 80 tons. Kohl-abi-drills
% inches apart-4O tons manure-sown in
May last, 40 tons and "a tons per acre
Cabbage, two prizes for SO and GO tons per
acre. 1t is worthy Of note that in all these
trials, none other than hrm-yard manure
was used.
Ii might not be good policy for American
farmers to 80 50 largely into the culture Of
green crops Us is done in the countries above
named. One reason is, our winters requir-
ing they should, like potatoes, DO stored be-
yond the reach Of frost. This would make
it inconvenicnt storing very largo quantities
but almost every farmer could so arrange as
to secure n few hundred bushels for winter,
feeding to his stock. Cabbagcs and rape
may be raised 50 Us TO be fed to milch COWS
from early in July till November and large
quantities can readily be saved for spring
use by opening trenches with plow, and
burying them in the trench, "hesd down
ward" We could cite from the Reports
and Transactions Of Agricultural Societies,
hundreds Of statements proving beyond all
cavil, the advantage and profit Of growing