The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-23

Every years experience tells The tale
more pldinly that, sponeroF lat4rj farm-
ers In the Eastern and Middle States
must{rRieer roots for stock, dufing the
eailygS Spring. Fattening young cattle
or feedfng mich COWS cannot be done
to the best advantage where roots do
not form part of the daily rati0fiss for
from three 10 FIVE months In the year.
Common tnfnipsl may he raised at
an expense not to exceed five cents
a bushel, and sometimes for less
money. 1t must be apparent to think
ing farmers that a bushel of turnips at
five cents Is q cheap article Of food,
and well worth trying by all who keep
cattle either in large or small way.
+ It seldom happens that . milkman
who once begins raising r. OTIS for his
COWS ever gives up the practice, but it
more often occurs that he increases
the area devoted to this crop from year
to year, well satisfied with the results.
This has been the experience of hum
dreds. For feeding cattle, the Ruta
Baga or Swede may be placed first on
the list. This grows to q large size, is
solid, of good. quality, and cattle relish
it in Winter. 1t does not grow quite
70 rapidly as some other varieties OF
the tnrnip, but when the ground is in
good order, free from stOues; and sOf
average richness, 500 to GOO bushels
can be grown Oh an acre of ground
without extra preparations Among
market gardeners this turnip is. always
grown as 3 second CROP usually fol-
lowing carly potatoes, radishes, or
scv t,u
farmer who will try cannot get off u
crop of Early Rose in full time to SOW
Rula Bagas.s9 But evensif the ground il
fallowed during the Spring and early
Summer, plowed1 three times before
sowing the seed, the crop when we'll
tended will yield largely, and be more
valuable than .mosti other crops in re.
gular farming routine: 2@'as 's''"'
The important points are: When
ready to sow, have the ground mellow
free from stone, and in good heart.
Then, with some care while the plant.
sare small, there can be littled chance
for failure. ei i'Gs aem sieHi safifH 90
The seeds may be- sown at any time
from the middle of July until 1.-THE
middle of August. 1Aefarmer who fol
many years past has grown from SOC
TO 1850 bushels per annum Of this
variety, and on heavy soil, tells us hs
prefers to make ridges, by throwing
two burrows together, raking off the
top of these drills, and then sowing the
seed with a machine, using two pounds
to the acre. One round of fresh seed
would give plants enough, for full
stand, II there were nc, drawbacks, but
the black fly some seasons makes sad
havoc when the plants are too thin
Again 1.-THE seed comes up thickly in
the rows, the young plants help t6
keep down the weeds directly in the
row, which is quite a saving, -.
The rows should not be closer than
two feet, and even q inches may il
some cases be a safer distance, because
when, these roots are grown by. tho
acre for cattle, horse-labor is all, i'm
pOrtant in keeping the spaces between
the rows free from weeds. When twt
inches high the plants should be thin
ned out. This can be mostly done
with a hand hoe. An active man OF
boy goes along and chops out ths
young turnips, leaving bunch Of two
or three every four inches. Then al
are pulled out by hand, except one, by
| women or boys, who come after. WheI
once thinned, the horse tools can read
lily do all the after-work needed, unit
it is time to harvest the crop. isai,
Either for cattle food or marke
purposes, the American, Improved
Ruta Baga is by far the best, WheI
the roots grow q medium size, tn,
flesh il solid and remarkably sweet
There are some other kinds that will
yield more, but they are a much
coarser grain, and of inferior quality