The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-04-25
What Roots Shall we RAISE.

This question has been much agltated
of late, and it is well that it should be.
The mass Of farmers are, however, even
more interested in the question, " shall
we grow roots at all ?" Little need as
there may be to persuade any one who
has earnestly attempted to acquire ex-
perimental knowledge on the subject, by
far the greater number are yet incredu-
lous in regard to the profit of root grow
ing, and word Of encouragement to such
may not De out of place.
While it is a safe general rule to be-
gin all new and untried specialties on a
small scale, yet such beginning Of root
culture has been especially discouraging
a hundreds of cases. There is a large in.
vestment of labor involved, at least, and
the only way to make it pay is to plant
on scale to warrant the employment Of
implements especially adapted to the pur-
pose, and animal power There is a very
general impression that while root culture
is profitable in the British Isles. it cannot
be so here on account of climatic varia-
tions. This is practically disproven by
our neighbors just across the Canadian
border, who have brought across the At
lantic their knowledge and prejudices on
the subject. are enabled in the use of Ca.
madam cheap labor, to grow roots quite
as proftably as at home" But even
there the +" lingering" process cannot be
successfully carried out, and only those
who grow acres in long rows, make sure
profit. l know parties there who regu-
larly raise several thousand bushels of
beets and turnips, and who feed them in
large quantities at all seasons of the year.
With much experience in the growing
and feeding of most kinds of roots, our
very decided preference for the principal
crop, is for beets. We place first among
varieties the American Imperial Sugar
beet 1t grows mostly out of ground and
although it grows larger and heavier than
any other, it is fine, compact, sweet and
nutritious. The Sugar beet that grow in
the ground we have discarded. The
Long Red Mangold grows very much like
the better variety Of Sugar beets, will
bear little closer planting, and yield
about the same weight of roots. 1t is
not quite so sweet or juicy as the other,
and we think ranks second in feeding
qualities. On soil inclining to sandy,
we have most excellent crops of the yell
low Globe Mangold. Between this and
the Long Red there is little if any choice,
except that the Globe is better adapted to
the lighter soils.
On land quite free from weeds, carrots
and parsneps may be pro6tably grown, but
we would not after all recommend them
as at all comparable with beets for gen.
eral crop. We always raise few Of
each kind, and are not disposed to join
that party, although constantly increas-
ing in numbers, who say there are no
virtue in carrots. Without having made
any very exact experiments, we are dis.
posed to rank parsneps next to the sugar
beets for feeding. Many place them
even higher on the list,
We also grow variety of turnips, Civ.
ing the preference to nameless variety
of Swedes that we have had for many
years, raising our own seed from carefully
selected roots, We never set apart any
land for the strap leaf variety, but fill all
vacant spaces in our fields, sowing broad
cast fran July 18th to August 18th.
We do not esteem the strap leaf turnips
as at all comparable with the Swedes, but
they are worth growing, nevertheless, land
come in where the other would not. We
have heretofore thought the Swede tur.
nip about as good as beets, but our pigs
this winter, though much preferring the
beets, have invariably required more tur.
nips per day than beets and we have
tested the matter many times, giving
them all they could would eat first Of one
and then of the other. IF one expert
ment will justify the enunciation of o
principle, we should set it down as estab.
lished beyond doubt that beets are much
more valuable than turnips of the very
best varieties.
The kohl rabi is not favorite with US
That large crops of it may be produced
we cannot doubt, but, with few expert
ments in feeding it, are content to let il
alone. We have the evidence of some O.
the best farmers that cabbages will af
ford more valuable food per acre thai
any other of the so-called root crops
We have nevertheless neglected to grow
them for feeding.
Some of our neighbors advocate grow
ing potatoes for feeding cows and pigs
but We do not see them putting thei
theories into practice, nor do we believ
they can do so probably. 1t is barrel
possible that in new lands rich in potash
and remote from transportation facilitie.
potatoes may be proftably raised 70
feeding, but it is probable that they vii
pay better if disposed of in some othe
way.
Squashes, though hardly a root Gro
may well be substituted for such unde
favorable circumstances. We hav
known some few instances where enol
nous crops have been raised, and the
possess valuable feeding qualities. W
are. however, disposed to rank this anon
the uncertain crops.-O. S. BLISS,
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