Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-06-06

CONCERNING Roof CROPS Chemists
tell us that mangel- wurzels and sugar beet,
contain about So per cent of water, eight
per cent of sugar, three per cent of starch
and the remainder woody fiber, &c, sugar
beets containing more than mangels
What say the animals about the value OF
roots? This So per cent of water, eight
per cent of sugar, three per cent of starch
and the remainder woody fiber, &c, kept
Il flock of eve lambs with hay the pas
winter in excellent health and condition
with Il daily feeding. A Jersey bull or
hay alone WAS losing flesh in the early
part OF the winter, and his coat looked
rough and staring. but peck Of mangel,
every morning soon put him in a thriving
condition, and caused his coat to become
smooth and shining. The piggery was
made the abode of quiet conlentment
Fall pigs, breeding sows, and bears al
doing well on mangels and sugar beets
with little corn. A bnshel day OF 81
per cent Of water, per cent of sugar, {
per cent of starch, and the remainder
woody fiber, &c, with hay kept four calves
merry and playful, My milch cows think
the above compound absolutely necessary
for their health and thrift in the winter
and so do |. Several of my neighbors are
converted, and this year the local area fol
roots will be very much increased. Pigs
cattle, and sheep can all eat mangels anc
beats without cutting, if it is too much
" bother " to cut them, and it is u bother
as | recolect old-fash times, when /;
boy my chorc was to slice up with knife
or spade II big basketful of potatoes Oh
turnips before going to bed; but with +
root-cutting machine it can be done il
three minutes. These machines cost abou
$40, and will last u lifetime.-NeU York
Tribune.
To grow roots is not so much Of bur
den rs many people suppose. Three
pounds of maDgel, or beet seed, will SOW
an acre. The ground must be we'll manur.
ed-no danger Of too much, if it is wei
rotted-either on the surface or in the
drills. Last year my root-ground was
MANFRED on the surface, after blowing, and
narrowed in. In previous seasons the
manure had been placed in the drills
There was no difference in the results oil
the two systems, although if the manure
is coarse and green it would be better tc
harrow it in, or pillow it under, rather than
to put it into the burrows, as it would take
it too long TO rot and assimilate with the
soil, which it must do before it becomes
plant food Mellowness of soil is an i'm.
portant prerequisite for roots; and when
this condition Of The ground is reached in
the spring, then is The time to put in the
seed. Two burrows should be turned to.
gether, so that the top of the ridges should
be thirty inches apart. With an iron rake
smooth the top, and rake down so that
there will be II level space at least four
inches in width. In the centre of this
space SOW the seed in straight lines, using
a seed-drill, of which there are several
kinds, all about equally good. If the seed
is sown by hand. then furrow must be
made with hoe at least an inch deep for
mangels or heels, and half inch deep for
carrots or turnips, and care taken not to
get the seed too thick, which is generally
The case, but evenly distributed in the
rows. The root patch should then be roll
ed across the ridges with field roller
Tribune.