Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-05-07
GNortcstrr Qallg SPY.
From the Maine Farmer. May 8.
Prepare for Root Crop.

Prepare for Root Crop.
We are glad to find that there is a favora.
BILE change coming over the minds of many
farmers among us in regard to the culture of
root crops. We have never raised half so
many of them as we ought. Our winters are
long and the season of feeding ottentimes pro-
tracted, and sometimes our forage crop is
seanty. The root crops seem to have been
gwen us for the very purpose of atfordng us
the means of varying the dry forage diet of
our cattle, and giving them something like "a
bite of grass" in mid winter.
We have often called the ruta baga solidified
grass, and the more we see of its effect on cat
tie in winter, the less inclined we are to change
our opinion III that respect. Now, all will
agree that the most paatabe and natural food
OF our cattle and sheep is grass, and, although
In MD winter, diet wholly of grass might
not be so compatible with the outside condition
OF things, yet an occasional approach TO it
with the more condensed food OF dry hay, is
highly beneficial to stock OF every kind.
The Importance of more attention to root
crops in Maine sometime since induced the
trustees of the Maine State Agricultural Soce-
: ty to increase their premiums for the sever
ssl kinds cultivated among us, list of which
iHas Published in he Farmer a short time ago.
Our climate is well adapted, as all will al.
low, to the production of nearly all OF the cul
mary roots raised by man. There is a great
difference, to be sure, between the varieties
propagated, both in their nutritive properties
and the ease OF growing. Before the potato
rot began to scourge us, the potato was per-
maps, raised the easiest, and, all things con-
sldered, is the most valuable. Next in the ease
of culture is the turnip, and next the mangcl
wurtzel. The first stage of the carrot culture
requires more care and attention, but it is a
productive and valuable crop. The parsnipis
easily grown, but should be planted earlier
than the others. 1t has not yet received so
much attention in this section Of the country
as 1t deserves.
communication was given you i'll the
Farmer from L. l.. Coy of New York, on the
culture of the sweet turnip, sometimes called
the sweet German turnip. He recommends it
very highly as being very productive. We
suppose 1t to be white ruta baga, probably
containing more saccharlue matter and there
fore more nutritve. We recommend trial
OF It, Seed, as stated in that communication,
may be obtained OF Mr.. Coy, whose post office
address is West Hebron, N. Y.
We think the turnip, both the ruta baga and
the common fiat varieties, have been under-
rated by most of our farmers in Maine. A
very good article on turnips was published in
the Boston Cultivator week before last A
part OF which, that relative to their nutritive
qualities, we here copy tor your perusal;
at has been objected to turnipS that they
contained large proportion of water-88 per
cent, according to some analyses. But it res
not appear that this objection is applicable to
the turnip more than to various other yegeta-
beS. Johnston quotes the analysis of Harm
stadt, Payen, and Crome, from which it APP
pears that there is of water in white turnps
1910, Swedish do. 500, cabbage 1870, sugar
beet $50, parsnip 1914. Playtair, as quoted
by the same author, gives of water in white
turnips 80, Swedish do. IS, common carrot
Sc, white do. 81. Different specimens of roots
vary in composition, according as the inf1u-
ence OF soil or other causes may have operated
on them, which may account for the Swedish
turnip having more water in one case than the
white, surprising the ordinary white fiat varie
ty is alluded to.
But If the turnip is TO be condemned on ac-
count of its large proportion of water, why
should not milk come under the same condem-
nation In its natural state it contains about
the same proportion OF water as the turnip and
other vegetables just referred to- Johnston
gives a table, which shows the compost
ton OF the milk of various animals, as
found by Messrs. Henry and Chevalier which
shows OF water in the milk OF the COW STOP,
goat $3.50, eve $685. Yet we know that
milk IS very nutritious and generally healthy
substance for man and other animals. Not
wlthstandlhg the large proportion OF water
1t contains and winch IN turnlps has been
deemed great objectlon-nothlng Will pro
duce more rapid or sound growth OF all parts
OF the system.
The late Prot. John I. Norton, III his "Ele-
ments OF Scentlhc Agriculture, says