Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-04-14
lGRICrLTURAL.

CULTIVATION OF RooTs, GRAIN AxD
GRAss.-When farming, years ago, on
the banks Of the upper part. of the
Niagara rlver, found the cool, moist
Summers and heavy, loamy, clay soil
better fitted for growing roots than
Indian corn, ana as We were then breed
ing trotting horses, ~Short-horn cattle
and other improved stock, in consid-
erable numbers, which required some
thing in winter in addition to hay to
keep them up to the proper mark, 1
devoted good deal of attention to
growing field root crops, which at that
early period were rather a novelty in
American husbandry.
Our farmers too often think that the
larger the size of their roots the
greater the amount OF nutriment they
obtain for their stock per acre, while
the contrary may be the fact. I have
raised sugar beets, mangel wurzels and
rutabagas weighing as high as II to
80 lbs. each, which did not contain
more, if as much nutriment as tho1e
not over one-fourth to one-third their
size. The small were juicy, sweet and
solid throughout, and we're eaten,
either cooked or raw, with avidity,
whereas the larger were more or less
hollow, pithy and dry, and would be
rejected by our animals, unless very
hungry.
In the cool, moist summers of Great
Britain and some other portions Of
Europe, roots of larger size may be
grown of superior quality to those
here but even then the chemical anal
ysis published in the Rurdps article re-
ferred to above, shows that the smaller
roots contain an average of about so
per cent. more of nutriment (feeding
value) than the larger roots. Thus, if
We get 100 bushels of the former from
the same area of land as $50 of the lat
ter, we have as much solid nutriment
from the one as from the other, and we
save the additional cost of handling,
storing and feeding the larger quantity.
Now, as to growing root crops IN
larger quantities for stock feeding, l
would recommend it in any part of our
country where soil and climate were
suitable for Indian corn, except 80 far
South that the seed can be planted in
late summer or early autumn and be
insured fair growth during the mild
winters there. The roots can be fed
off in the field to sheep and pigs
during winter, the same as is done IN
the south of England, and thus save
the trouble and expense of harvesting
and storing.
On the few acres that now cultivate
near the Jersey sea-shore, the soil is so
much lighter and the growing season
so much longer and warmer than on
the banks of the Niagara River, 1 find
that rye, wheat, oats and corn are more
reliable and profitable to grow for for
age than roots. My rye is fit to cut
green for soiling early in May, and as
this is fed out, the winter wheat, then
spring wheat, oats and corn follow in
succession. In the meanwhile as much
of these different sorts of grain as is
wanted to ripen for threshing or shell
ling is left to do so. / also cut more
or less of the above when in blossoms,
and cure it as we do grass for winter
forage. When one is short in hay
there are excellent substitutes, thus
cut and cured, and may be as easily
and as cheaply grown as grass by the
system which l follow in their cultiva-
tion in our light soil and mild climate.
In other parts of New Jersey. where
the soil is a good clay loan, it is easier
and cheaper generally to grow grass in
stead of the above green grain crops
for winter stock forage; but even in
this case / would recommend, always
a certain portion of these to be grown
for summer soiling, in case of drouth
greatly lessening the grass crop.
plant field roots in rows three feet
apart. This gives sufficient space be-
tween to work them with the cultiva-
tor. thin out from to inches in
the row. / do not want my beets to
grow in this climate heavier than 4 to
7 lbs. each as a general rule, for if they
&c beyond this the quality is not so
good, and l don't think anything is
gained by it.-Rural Ne5C Yorker.
SICK ANIMALS Nearly all sick ami
mails become so by improper feeding
in the first place. Nine cases ont of
ten the digestion is wrong. Charcoal
is the most effective and rapid correc-
tive. It will cure in a majority of
cases, if properly administered. An
of its use-the hired man
came in with the intelligence that
one of the finest COWS was very sick,
and kind neighbor proposed the
usual drugs and poisons. The owner
being i'll and unable to examine the
COW, concluded that the trouble came
from over eating, and ordered a tea
cupful of pulverized charcoal given in
water. 1t was mixed, and placed in a
Junk bottle, the head held upward, and
the water and the charcoal poured
downward. In five minutes improve
ment was visible, and in a few hours
the animal was in the pasture quietly
eating grass. Another instance of
equal success occurred with a young
heifer which had become badly bloated
by eating green apples after hard
wind. The bloat was so severe that
the sides we're almost as hard as bar
rel. The old remedy-salaratus
tried for correcting the acidity, but
the attempt to put it down always |
caused coughing, and did little good. |
Half a teacupful of fresh powdered |
charcoal was given. In six hours all
appearance of the bloat had gone, and |
he heifer was well.
The ROLLER is more valuable farm |
Implement than formerly. Our i'm
proved farm machinery demands |
smooth surfaces on the fields. Then |
farmers have learned that better plow-
ng can be done with smooth surface
han an uneven one, and good plowing
means easy after tillage and clean
,rops. Therollers are needed on the new
meadow in the spring on the fields of
spring grain after sowing, and quite
likely on the planting ground. Rolling
s so simple an operation that the CON-
non log roller is about as good as the
more costly tool made of iron and
plank. On the fields that are pretty |
rec of stone, clod crusher made of
plank fastened to scantling and over
apping each other like clap-boards on
/ house answers an excellent purpose.
L should be about three feet wide and
line long.