The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-07-18
Roots for Stock Feed.

| Roots have become necessity, with
progressive farmers, as winter food for
stock, and their great value in this con-
ncction should commend them to those
who have not essayed their cultivation.
Even the owners of work and driving
horses in the large cities, where no OPP
portunity is had to raise them, annually
buy hundreds of bushels of carrots, man
gel wurtzels, turnips, ETC., to be fed
in connection with grain food, to their
horses, and they are we'll assured of the
proftableness of using them, for the ami
mails are always sleek, fat and glossy in
appearance, and never become hide bound
or sickly.
The sheep, cattle and swine, too, come
in for share of the roots in winter, and
no farmer who has right to be called
one should think of neglecting the culti-
walton of roots for his different kinds of
stock. There is scarcely farm, on which
the farmer makes living, which is not
large enough to make it profitable to
grow from one to two acres or more OF
carrots, mlngel wurtzels, etc. If they
have not been grown this season, by all
means purchase some. If the markets
are carefully noted, it is often possible
to buy paratively large lots at very
moderate figures. He who goes without
them deprives his stock Of something
they really need, besides not realizing the
same amount of value from the food con-
sumed that would be obtained if few
roots were regularly fed, to tone the sys-
tenn and keep the animals sound and
healthy.
In storing roots for winter feeding,
never use the house cellar for the pur-
pose, for the smell which will continually
arise from them and prevade the entire
house, will not only be unpleasant but
may lead to sickness. A barn cellar is
the most appropriate place, though we
have kept large quantities out of doors,
in mounds made for the purpose. We
select high piece of ground on which
we put light sprinklng of straw; on
this the heap of roots is put, say about
fifty bushels in heap, after first carefully
removing tie tops or leaves. After the
pile has been nicely rounded up, spread
light covering of straw on them and
then put on the earth or soil carefully to
the depth of six or eight inches, first
making chimney" at the extreme top,
with a whisp of straw placed upright, to
afford ventilation. BY taking the soil
from Immediately around the pile fol
covering the roots, better drainage is af.
forded and they are kept free from wet OF
! dampness. After the soil has all been
put on which is necessary, 60 over the
heap and pat it down nicely with the
back of the spade, to make it shed the
rain without washing away any, or bu
little. In this way we have kept carrots,
beets, parsnips, turnips and mangel wurt
zcls the entire winter. We always took
one heap at time, when wanted for use
and conveyed all to the barn, to a darh
place free from frost. When this lot was
used up, we tackled another heap in tn,
same way.
If roots are kept in light and airy
place they will soon shrivel up, or rot
and lo.e much of their value as stock
feed. After the heap has been finished
and packed down with the spade, it is ;
good plan to cover it with few inches
of old straw or fresh litter from the sta
Bile, which will prevent heavy ruins from
washing the earth down. A better sub
stance is long rye straw placed arounc
the mound and tied at the top, as thi,
will shed most of the rain, and if drain
age is properly provided for, no trouble
need be apprehended.-D u. Exams, Jr.
in Ohio Farmer.