, 1878-07-18
Roots for stock Feed.

Roots have become necessity. with
progressive farmers, a. winter food fof
stock, and their great value 10 this con.
uection should commend them 10 those
Who have not essayei their cultivation
Even the owners ut work and driving
horse, 10 the large cities, where no Cp.
p1rtUuity j. hal O. rAi.e them. annually
uuy hundreds ui bushels Of carrots, man.
gel Nuftxs.s, tUEuips, etc, O. be fed
10 connection with grain food, 20 their
hUr O., and they are well assured of the
p'uhnbIene.s of using them, for the ami.
mails are always sleek, tat aud glossy in
appearance and never become hiie-bOund
or sickly.
Tie sheep, cattle and swine, too, come
ia for a share Of the roots In winter, and
mo- fum"r who has % right To he called
one should think of neg Getting the cult
walton Of roots for his different kinds oi
stock, There is scarcely farm, on which
the farmer makes living, which is not
large enough 10 make IL profitable %
grow from one u two acres or more OF
carrots, mlngcl wurtzels, etc. II they
have not been grown this season, by all
means purchase some. If the markets
are carefully noted, it is often possible
to buy comparatively large lots at very
moderate figures. He who goes without
them dcprives his stock Of something
they really need, besides not realizing the
same amount of value from the food con-
sumed that would he obtained if few
roots were regularly fed, to tone the sys-
TEN 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 sprinkling of straw; on
this the heap of roots is put, say about
fifty bushels in heap, after first carefully
removing the tops or leaves After the
pile has been nicely rounded up, spread
a 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 whisp of straw placed upright to
afford ventilation. BY taking the soil
from Immediately around the pile for
covering the roots, better drainage is af-
forded and they are kept free from wet or
dampness. After the soil has all been
put on which is necessary, 90 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 but
little. In this way we have kept carrots,
beets, parsnips, turnips and mangel wurt-
zes the entire winter. We always took
one heap at time, when wanted for use,
and conveyed all to the barn, to dark
place free from frost. When this lot was
used up, we tackled another heap in the
same way.
If roots are kept in light and airy
place they will soon shrivel up, or rot,
and lose much of their value as stock
feed. After the heap has been finished
and packed down with the spade, it is a
good plan to cover it with few inches
Of Old straw or fresh litter from the sta
bic, which will prevent heavy ruins from
washing the earth down. A better sub
stance is long rye straw placed arou I'd
the mound and tied at the top, as this
will shed most of the rain, and if drain
age is properly provided for, no trouble
need be apprehendcd.-D. H. Erans, Jr,
in Ohio Farmer.