, 1878-02-01
Roots for Stock Feed.


Roots have become a necessity, with
progressive farmers, ss winter food TOR
stock and theirgreat value In this connec-
t;on 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
nortunity is had to raise them, annually
Inv hundreds Of bushels of carrots,
mangel wurtzels, turnips, &c, to be
fed IN connection with grain food to
their horses, and they are well
assured of the proftablencss of using
them, for the animals are always sleek,
fat, and glossy in appearance, and never
become hide bound or sickly.
The sheep, cattle, and swine, too, o,come
in for share of the roots in winter, and
no farmer who has right to be called
one should think of peglectiug the cult,
vstion of roots for his different kinds OF
stock. There ia scarcely farm, on
which the farmer makes q living, which
10 not large enough to make it profitable
IN grow from one to two acres or more
Of carrots, mangel wurtzels, etc. If
they have not been grown this season, by
all means purchase some. If the mar
kets are carefully noted, it is often pos
sible to buy com paratively large lots at
verv moderate figures. He who goes
without them deprives his stock of some
thing they really need, besides not realiz'
inc the same amount Of value from the
food consumed that would be obtained
if a few roots were regularly fed, to tone
the system aud 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 pervade the entire
house will not only be unpleasant, but
NAV lead to sickness. A barn cellar is
the most appropriate place, though We
have kept large quantities out of doors,
for the same purpose We select high
niece of ground, on which we put 3
light sprinkling OF straw; on this the
heap Of roots is put, say about fifty
busnels in heap, after first carefully
removing the tops or leaves. After the
pile has been nicely rounded up, spread
light covering of straw on them and
then put on the nth or soil carefully to
the depth of six or eight inches, first
making a "chimney" at the extreme top,
with u wisp of straw placed upright, to
afford ventilation. BY taking the soil
Immediately from around the pile for
covering the roots, better drainage is
afforded aud they are kept free from wet
or 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, OF
but little In this way we have kept
carrots, beete, parsnips, turnips and man
gel wurtzels the entire winter. We al.
ways took one heap at a time, when
we 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 airy places
they will soon shrivel up or rot, and lose
much of their value MS stock feed
After the heap has been finished and
packed down with the spade, it is 0
good plan to cover it with few inches
of old straw or fresh litter from the sta
bic, which will prevent heavy rains from
washing the earth down. A better sub.
stance is long rye straw placed around
the mound and tied to the top, as this
will shed most Of the rain, and if drain
age is properly provided for, no trouble
need be apprehended.-Cor. Prdcttce
Former.