Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-07-13

lHt tuilbpo AafC OtcH OllI VI tuC Siouh'
week to ten days, the ground should be
thoroughly hOed and the plants thinned to
two or three in hill To facilitate the
operation cultiyator or horse hoe may be
used and the thinning of the plants can
mostly be done with a hoe, but if necessary
in order TO save the best and strongest
plants, the fingers should be used. At the
second hoeing, which should be done in
two or three weeks after the first, the plants
should all be removed excepting one in
each hill. Don't be deluded with the idea
that two in a hill will do as well as one,
and give you double crop, for though you
will have twice as many turnips, the chan
ces are that four times in five you will have
less pounds of turnips to the acre, and of
an inferior quality; at least, this has been
my experience. In cultvating turnips
they should never be hilled up, but on the
contrary, the dirt should be partially re-
moved from them; no matter if they lop
over some they will soon regain an erect
position. and will grow out of the ground
more, have less roots, and consequently be
smoother and more perfectly developed,
than they will when hilled. The harvest
ing Of turnips may, and indeed, think
should be delayed as long as it can safely
be done. Frosts do not injure them and
they will even stand considerable freezing,
better than the heat that they will germin-
ate if harvested while the weather remains
warm and put into large piles. My meth
cd of harvesting - as follows Starting be-
tween two rows, pull a turnip with each
hand, rap them together to shake off the
loose dirt, and throw them on the ground
in q convenient place to make pile, and
proceed thus, throwing them together in
piles until have As many pulled as | wish
for the time. Then taking large knife, |
pick up a turnip by the top and with two
or three dips with the knife cut off all the
roots and dirt, then change the turnips
into my hand and with a stroke of the
knife cut off the top, and throw theturnips
in a pile ready to be thrown in a cart and
be taken to the cellar. All this is a very
quick operation, as soon as one is little
used to it. shad rather harvest an acre Of
turnips in this way than one acre of pota-
toes. | am aware that some have quick
ermethOd of harvesting, as follows Pull
ling the turnips one or two rows at a time,
they are laid III row upon the sides and
the tops clipped off with knife or scythe,
rs they lay, but this method though quick
cr, does not suit me As well, as it leaves all
the roots and much dirt to be carried to
the cellar and fed out to the cattle Cattle
fed upon roots in this condition, will be
very apt to have sore teeth unless they
are fed in very small quantities, and will
be injured instead Of benefited by the turn
fps. The best place to store turnips is in
a root cellar connected with the barn, but
there are few farmers who have this, and
oi course will store them in the house Gel
lar, but wherever they are stored, they
should be allowed Il plenty Of air until the
sweating process is over. The turnip tops
may DO fed to the cattle but should not be
fed in large quantities to cows in milk, as
it will make the milk and butter turnip
flavor. | have never discovered any effect
OF this kind in feeding the root to my cows,
at the rate OF peck a day.
4 word in regard to cutting turnips and
other roots to feed For some years prac-
uced putting the roots in box and cut
ting them with a shave, but this was not
exactly satisfactory, as it cut some into
''mince meat" and some would be left toe
large. | then tried cutting with large
butcher knife, placing a narrow boarC
across box or basket and resting the turn
ip ON the board, slice down through it, bu
there was Oork in it, though l liked tn,
way better than the first, but neither wa
satisfactory, so last winter procured a veg
etable cutter which is perfectly satisfactory
gratuitousIy for other people, l may be do
inga kindness to many by telling them tina
the cutter that use is Wellngton's patent
manufactured by A. Stearns, Woodstock
Vt. There may be others as good an
satisfied there are few, if any better, and
man who feeds one hundred bushels o
more of roots in a season, cannot afford t.
be without one. 1t cuts fine enough 70
for sheep and calves, and at the rate of
bushel in one to two minutes.
/. ID. h. COLLINS.
Craftsbury, VT.
AUXILIARY CRoPs.-If the corn GRO
over a considerable extent of country
short, and the small grains are injured, a
seems likely, by an exaggerated growth o
straw at the expense OF berry, it will b
well to engage more than usual in such o
the later sown crops as may, in measure
take their places.
Buckwheat will help the farmer on
amazingly, and may be sOwn any time
IS not the equal of corn oats or barley fo
feed, but is not to be altogether despiseC
while in the household ana for poultry it
quite desirable. A patch of it is goo
thing to have to fall back on.
The rutabaga is still more valuable:
not difficult of cultivation, and yields we
on all the lighter prairie soils, or wher
sand is a component part, but not preponC
Grating Now is the time to put them il
Make the soil mellow; roll it, and use tn
drill to put in the seed. The rows shOul
be from two to three feet apart The Gu
tivation may be done principally by tn
small pillow or cultivator thinning out an
pulling the weeds in the row by hand.
The common turnip should not be ovel