Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-17

A correspondent of the Name Farmer
writes as follows:
In speaking of ruta bagas, know what
am talking about. have raised them
and fed them for 25 years, and from my
own experience know that oats and bar
ley straw, with one peck of turnips night
and morning, will keep a COW in better
condition, and furnish more milk and but
ter, than the very best hay with no roots.
My COWS the past winter never ate feed
of hay till January, and they held out
their milk, and kept their flesh far better
than they have at other times with the
best of hay. My experience is that ruta
bagas fed to cows regularly in the winter,
do not give the milk or butter any Unu-
usual or unpleasant flavor. sold my
winter butter the past winter on Water
street, Augusta, for Sc cents, made on
nothing but straw and ruta bagas.
The season last year was unfavorable
for turnips as well as for other crops, be-
ing cold and victim spring, early summer,
hard drought in August, and then a flood
till harvest, but as il was l raised at the
rate of 1,040 bushels to the acre, and ]
wish to tell those who have no way at all,
just how ] raised them. First, take
patch in the middle of the field, where
the sod can be inverted completely and
properly; if there are any stones, take
them off before blowing. Il am talking
of greensward every time.) Plow deep,
let it dry till it will pulverize to 'fnc
thing" and then harrow; yes, harrow
here is the secret. Put on at the rate of
II loads of green manure to the acre, and
then harrow again, till atleast six inches of
the soil is as fine as a garden. Mark out
your rows from twenty inches to two feet
apart; then drop plaster and super phos-
plate of lime at the rate of 500 pounds TO
the acre, just one foot apart; then let one
man take the seed, and after kicking a
little dirt over the fertilizer, drop the seed
by hand, and another one follow and
cover lightly with hoe. Be sure
and drop seed enough, for you
will find that the boys and hired men
had far rather thin them out than trans
plant them. If the weather is warm, be
sure and watch for them in season, or the
flies will have them before you know it.
If the fly attacks them, strew plaster on
them when the dew is on, and. they are
safe. As soon as the third leaf is out,
thin to three plants in hill, and weed
completely. After they get out of all
danger from the maggot, thin to one plant
in hill, and draw the dirt up 10 them
quite literally. If the season is not too
dry, they will take care of themselves till
harvest, unless some uncommonly vigor-
Gus rag weed finds its way upward through
the most luxuriaRt growth of foliage TO be
found on the farm. If all the circum-
stances were favorable, think more roots
could be got from the same ground by
planting farther apart, but the ground is
kept clean, and if the season is too dry,
it will moisten by being so thoroughly
shaded.
The ground where | raised my turnips
is the frcest from weeds and in finest tilh
of any in my field. think my ruta bagas
one year with another, are the most
profitable crop raise.
Brother farmers, let us talk turnips,
and see if there is not something in them
that we want to go with the straw.