St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-02-25
TIE CALEDONlAN'
Chr farm and Garden.
CuIedOnid Farmers

The subject Oh
"Root Culture
p FOSTER of Barnet, was not so
Enthusiastic an admirer of roots as many
vet he considered the ruta-bagas valuable
- food in the winter as condlment
They were the nearest like grass OF any
thing that stock could have in the WIN
fer season, and as grass was the natural
food. ruta-bagas were good, Ills me-
1b,d of cultivation was TO break up a
piece of swarl land after springs work
WAS done. harrow down well, drop the
seed by simpl, contrivance he has
made. and which he explained, and put
on phosphate. In this way he can ge'
AT the rate OF 1000 bushels to the acre,
and last year lie raised them in size W
TO IS pounds each. lie would prefer e.
plant turnips early in the season Ii he
had time to do So lie preferred mangcI-
wurzels and carrots to turnipS, but II
was too mu il trouble to raise them. lc
thought many rated turnips too highly :;
he believed one bu>hel of potatoes Wa
nearly equal to three OF turnips. lie
spoke Of an experiment made in London
with milch cows, where turrps were
reckomcl at only one-seventh the value
OF hay by w light.
IIoKACE PlDDuCK stated that he had
read that three pounds of turnlps Were
equal to one pound of hay. lie thought
tie could RAISE % tons of turnips a cas-;
and "a cncaniy Il, he could two tons OF
hay. lie dill not think turnipS wcr,
very ,aIyab!c ior m,l.h COWS, but lul
yuung stock, sheep, aud animals ''com-
in. ill.," they were invalu bic. He then
gave the experiment of Mr.. Idle of Lyu-
don, who divided Il herd of two-ycar>-
oldS in the fall TO one lot giving turnip-.
and 10 the other none. When turncG
out i, spri he could see no ditfcrcnc,
in the two ucrd-, except that the hair O.
The turnip-tcd cattle looked brighter anc
better: but very soon after being turnrc
cut the latter began to gain over III,
former, and in the fall they brought hin
about S1l head the most.
GEO. II. DREW inquired if turnip.
sapped The ground worse than potatoc.
or corn; his experience was that the
did
Mr.. FOSTER thought that if the same
amount of manure was put upon tie
turnip ground as upon the corn ground,
the turnip> would not sap the ground
any more than either Ul the other crop.
AMAsA HASTINGS considered turniI's
of more value tLan some who had yircn
their experience. He had winlcrcd
shuat- on turnip> a. well as he could dc
it with potatoes He had experimental
feeding tuinip- The present winter 10 HI
COWS. Those which he fed turnjp> DID
much better than those that had nonr
He led turnips to mich cows immediate
" after milking, and found no troub'
with the milk ur butter tasting OF tic
feed. lie preferred angel-wurz,ls +,
turnils, but they required better land
and cost more to raise them.
Mr.. DREW thought we'll Of turnip~
He plants them early-beiore bis corn
then if any Of the seed misses, there (,
tine 10 replaEt. When put Oft un
June before planting, there was frequent
~ dry time. which was fatal 10 I'll
seed starting. He would not feed tur
nps with straw. a. many do, as they al
both bulky. and Of li,llc nutrition
He Iud Ted arain with straw. ar
give hay with turrips. He though
many were rot careful enough alot
cleaning ruruI,- b FIRE tct,jin. tn. Il
wou.d rather thty would hc throw
away thu led t. / i stock with the dlr
on. H. 'iougt; turnips were especial
. %" hr -h,. =. IL used TO luec maj,
uy the ''SrrrchrrS," bat since hc tcl iu
MP lac { a non o. hi, trouble.
JANIS IARHI, preferred turnip,
p,at,c- Ter snccp, but gave prcteren,
to p tatucS FIR cattle. Turnips were {
pcciilly good tor sheep before lambn4-
the lambs were always >tron. al
healthy. hut POTATOES given sheep at la
time weakened them.
Mr.. Foster raised the question
raising c.bI az FIR cattle feed. Scicr
tiiic men had stated that more Walt
could be raised from an acre Of c;,bbag
than t.om any root crop. The cabba,
filled up an important gap between IRA
and Lay, say from about the middle
October to the middle of Noveml {
Cnhlagcs were much more hearty thu
tunipS, and never scented the milk. |
was highly pleased with Il small cXpeI
ment he had made in this direction.
In answer to an inquiry about ha
vesting, Mr. Drew said he used to pu
and lay in regular rows, and cut oil to-
with Il lo.g-hanlled hatchet, but he NJ
cut off the tops with " hoe, and dl
them up with the same instrument
At this point quite lengthy di>cu
sion arose about changing seed. Mo