The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-04-13
nAFaHLs AND BETS IN KANSAS.

Col. w. A. Harris, proprietor of the
Linwood herd of Shorihorns at Law
renee, Kansas, has, during the last three
years, been raising and feeding with
very satisfactory results considerable
quantities of roots. His success in that
direction should encourage others to
go and do likewise. Having been So
licited for a statement of his experience
and observation, he has furnished the
following to the Breeders Gazette of
Chicago:
selected the richest piece of ground
I had-three and half acres Of Elm and
Walnut river bottom; threw two fur
rows together three and a half feet
apart; ran the roller lengthwise flatten-
ing and pulverizing the tops of the
ridges; planted as early as possible
eight frosts do not hurt ihem)-about
April Goth last year, which was later
than usual. Used the Planet, jr., hand
dill, using six pounds Of seed per acre.
AS soon as the plants were up two or
three inches had them carefully hoed
and thinned out, leaving one plant every
fourteen or fifteen inches. The ''patch'
adjoined corn and was cultivated the
same way three or four times, with an
extra clean hoeing in June. The vari-
cites used were the Imperial sugar
beet, the yellow Globe and the Long
Red rnangels. All things considered, l
regard the last as the most profitable.
1t grows up out of the ground, is very
large, Il have had specimens weighing,
with the top, twenty-four pounds and
fifteen ounces, and therefore is cheaper
TO handle. let them stand as late as
possible, even if the tops get little
touched with frost, and then gather.
top them and pile in ranks about two
and half feet wide at the bottom aud
twenty-five or thirty feet long. Cover
with eight inches of straw and fourier
five inches Of earth, which is increased
eighteen inches as the weather grows
colder. find more danger Of heating
by too much covering without ventil-
alton in mild weather than by freezing.
To ventilase pull the straw up through
the earth on top of the heaps every
eight or ten feet. In this way have
had sound roots until April. Ny crop
for 1880 was l2s wagon loads-3,20l
bushels. The estimated quantity was
5000 bushels. In 1851 the same ground
gave only about half the quantity, as
the roots made NO growth after July
10th or nth. English agriculturists |
tell of yields Of forty 10 fifty tons per
scre, or, at fifty pounds 10 the bushel,
1900 TO 1900 bushels per acre. With
uleutv of manure and good culture, they |
Win astonish any one by their immense
growth.
For feeding through the winter once /
or twice week, or more frequently il
one has enough, they are invaluable,
not SO much for the nutrition that is in
them, but as an accompaniment Of the
ary food. Horses, cattle and hogs are
al fond Of them, but they are especially |
for hogs, and for cows Just before and
sfter calying. find that ii is not nec-
esssary TO cat them up, as they are very
brittle and tender, aud cattle cat a little
more leisurely when they have TO pite
Of piece at time
Next spring shall follow the same
pl.p. except that shall use manure in
the bottom of the ridges, and fatten
,l,e ridges dewn rs much as possible. ]
I'D hardly add that ! think plenty OF
l.ects is better than any cholera med
G o;uR