Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-20
E. G. Buss, second lieutenant, promoted from
first sergeant.


Root Culture.
At the Legislative agricultural meeting of
Monday evening, March II, Newton Hubbard
of Brimfield, presided, and opened the discus
sion on ''root culture" The chair enc orsed
the economy OF root culture quite strongly.
He thought eighteen tons of ruta ba. as could
be grown per acre, If well MANFRED. He
spread on good coat of green manure and
ploughed it in deep, and just before planting
in May, top~dressed with compost manure and
ploughed it in lightly Mr. Howard of the
Cultivator, advocated the economy of root
culture. He deemed carrots good for horses
Carrots, he said, improve the quality of the
milk of cows. Carrots should be grown on a
loose soil, and turnips on tenacious one. Mr..
Hubbard OF Sunderland, said turnips grow
well on muck land; also that muck mixed
with sand makes good turnip crop. Farmers
iii his town found it good economy to turn
over sward land from the last of June to the
fifteenth of July, from which crop of hay
had been taken, uses ashes OF a little com
mercial manure and sow on English turnip
seed. Thus good crop is grown. He did
not approve OF growing carrots. Too much
labor is required. Onions, he said, is good
crop, about equal to tobacco. Mr.. Flint
said the drawback on root culture is weeds.
Old MANFRED land is subject to weeds. He
gar beets, the latter for sugar making. There
are some in the Connecticut valley that will
remember the experiments in this culture as
they do the sorghum. Mr.. Wetherell of Bos-
ton thought the first question to be considered
is, whether it be desirable to grow roots at all
or not, on the ground OF rural economy? He
did not believe it to be so, for both experience
and observation had taught him otherwise He
believed the corn crops more profitable for
the farmer than the root crops, in view of the
value of both the grain and the fodder, the lat
ter being equal to the hay that would grow
thereon if seeded down. 1t does not follow
that because the economy of root culture sue
ceeds in England, where maize cannot be
grown, that it will do SO here. The climate
and soil are both better adapted to growing
roots there than here. He cited a case where
the feeding of horses on carrots proved high
ly injurious Roots, as an Alternative for stock
he did not object to. Beyond this he would
not grow them for cattle. AS for sugar beet
culture, he did not believe in it. We shall
obtain our sugar from the cane fields of the
south, as we shall our cotton from
the cotton helds, at much lower
rate than we can grow the former
Mr.. Drew of Boston Endorsed the turnip
crop, but would not recommend farmer to
grow carrots. Mr.. Smith of CRANKY grew
turnips, ruta bagas and sugar beets more than
20 years ago, but had abandoned them be-
cause he found corn better crop. The Eng
lish people he said would not grow roots if
they could raise Indian corn. Mr.. Town of
Lanesboro Endorsed root culture. He could
raise 600 bushels of turnips per acre and sell
them for % cents bushe. Mr. Morton of
Williamsburg approved carrot culture, but
not turnips. He had grown carrots on a piece
of ground for II years. His first crop was
$50 bushels, and his last was over 400. He
MANFRED highly every year. Mr.. Smith of
CRANKY remarked that ordinarily one dress
ing of manure would produce good crop of
corn; also of oats, and crops of grass for two
or three years. (The inference is obvious.)
Mr.. Quincy being called said he grows no
turnips, for he deems grass a more profitable
crop. Mr.. Flower of Agawam would not
grow roots to the infringement of the corn
crop, which he deemed much more profitable
The English turnip he believed to be about
the poorest crop farmer can grow. About
81 per cent. is water. He cited the
experience of farmers against the econ
omy of root culture. English hay and
rowen and corn are as good feed as a COW can
have. Mr.. Warren of Auburn said that root
culture about him had been tried and aban-
doned, as not paying. Carrots, lie said, are
too facilitating for horses. He did not find
roots profitable for mich cows. Cattle, he
said can be kept cheaper on English hay than
in any other way. Swamp hay, he said, is
ruled out for cattle feeding. Adjourned at
nine o'clock, after assigning agricultural
Education" for the next discussion.
This was regarded as the most decidedly
anti-root culture discussion yet had at the
state house. This department of rural cul-
ture has been questioned more and more year
by year, until the argument is decidedly
against the economy of root culture in this
country for feeding domestcated animals.
The economy of hauling 100 tons of roots to
the barn, when 80 or more tons of the same
are water, is even questioned in Old England.
1t is also asserted on English authority that
ton of turnips will not make above five pounds
of butchers meat. When let to be fed off the
ground, as is common in England, they fetch
only from Is. Cd. to IS. &c. per ton, and in
some localities nothing beyond their manurial
benefits, resulting from being fed on the spot.
The quantity of nutritive matter in turnips is
about per cent; or 1885 parts of turnips are
equal to 100 parts of wheat. Root culture
has few advocates outside the list of theorists.