Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-06-28
Root Crops.

ANOOO OAOpn'
The following very interesting and useful des-
CREATION upon root crops was read before the
Calais Farmers and Mechanics Association,
and it gives US pleasure to lay it before our
readers. Ed.
Mr.. PRESIDENT BY the courtesy Of the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the Calais Farmers Club,
am called upon to offer a few thoughts in
connection with my experience upon the Guilt
cation, uses, and importance of root crops as
connected with agricultural pursuits generally.
propose in the outset, to take some extracts
and ideas from Lanncr, Il German author, up
on the value Of fodder stuffs in reference to their
nutritiousness, to aid US in drawing more cor
rect conclus ons in relation to the relative value
of roots, for fodder, compared with the cereals
and other dry fodder.
8" The substances used for the food of cattle,
horses and sheep, belonging collectively to the
vegetable kingdom. We see plants formed out
of the earth, water and air, through the indu
ence of the power of life, by means of their
process Of absorption, digestion, and respira-
ton, and the most varied products in manner
hitherto unanswerable, Of which we indeed APP
prehend the outward appearances, perceptible
to our senses, and understand how to arrange
by rule and system, but the inner being of
which can never be cleared to the mind of man;
as it requires the exercise of power lying be-
yond his faculty Of conception.
Notwithstanding their diversity Of form and
product, all plants possess these elements, viz:
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, Many Of them
contain more or less nitrogen, together with
other mineral and earthly constituents. These
first principles, are the forming elements of
which pr0xmate constituents Of the vegetable
organic being are composed. To these proxi-
mate constituents belong, among others, the SO
called nutritious substances of plants, in which
we include in more limited sense, the gluten
of the cereals, or that Of the pod fruits the
fecala, the vegetable albumen, DE fatty oil, SUI
gar, farind, vegetable gum a11 hne, and par
TALLY, also, the vegetable fer4hatous fibres that
are capable Of being assimiated but in
wider sense, we embrace all those substances
contained in plants which are required Or are
suitable in the process of digestion, to the for
nation of animal clements.
Among the proximate constituents of plants,
those that contain arote, or nitrogen, holds the
first rank, in reference to the food of animals
Then follow those containing carbon, and final
ly the mineral, though all these classes together
with water and oxygen, arc to be regarded as
absolutely necessary conditions for the forma
ton Of the animal constituents. Every one of
the usual fodder substances contain all these
three classes, only i'll very different proper
tons"
The vitality or activity of fodder plants as
well as those other normally seires only on those
substances that arc adapted to the character of
the species. Differences exist in reference to the
quantity Of the proximate vegetable constituents
according to the place, time and circumstances
of growth.
i" At the same time, also, climate, soil and
culture operate more or less on their formation
of the same. These facts produced by analysis,
justify the conclusion that plants, also produce
their various prOximate constituents, contormed
in greater or less degree to these conditions
for example, the beet, on a strong soil, manurcd
with animal, and especially with sheep dung,
produces less sugar and more nitre. The
change in the quantity of nutritious clements
of TIE fodderstuf, thus modified by the influ-
ences of nature and culture, may also exert an
influence on the nutritiOusneSs Of the fodder
stufis of which we are now treating, in the use
of the same for food.
He who wishes to fatten, therefore, stores up
as much carbon as is required in the form OF
fat while he who tasks his oxen by severe la
Dor must, as much as possible, look out for iod-
der containing nitrogen in solid form. Many
sort of food is specially suited, or scarcely at
all 50, to many an object as for example, to
produce milk, many an one is fitted to promote,
or not to, endurance in labor. In the choice,
therefore, of fodder-stufis, these should be estl-
mated always in respect to their nutritiousness,
Tor the kind of animal to which they are given,
and especially the object which We have par
ticularly in view in feeding them out.
AS the great and far most important object
in raising the several varieties Of roots, in pc
cuniary point Of view, is to feed them for va
rious purposes, to our horses, sheep and cattle,
it is necessary that we endeavor to analyzo and
rightly understand their component parts, in
order to feed them judiciously, as well as to as
certain the best possible treatment to produce
good crop.
am not sufficiently versed in the science, to
give a correct analysis, or correctly describe the
properties of which the several varieties are
composed, or their comparative nutritious val
ne.
1t is difficult to decide what is the true value
of any root crops compared with corn, or other
grain, inasmuch as the roots have certain val
ne as condiment, over and above the actual
nutritive matter which they contain.
The rata baga, which is the most nutritious