The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-02-10
The Difficulties with Root Crops.


Englishmen who visit this country OK
press great surprise that our farmers de
vote 80 little attention to the production
of root crops for feeding to stock. They
declare that roots, especially turnips and
mangolds, are their main reliance for
feeding stock animals and for making
beef, mutton aud pork. They speak of the
productiveness of root crops, of their ex-
cellence for food, and of their beneficial
influence in preparing land for crop of
wheat OF. other small grains. Their state
ments are all true in relation to their
own country, but they do not furnish
conclusive evidence that the same kinds
of crops would be profitable here. The
climate of Great Britain is very favora-
bic for the production of root crops, be-
ing mild and moist. II is also favorable
for keeping them after they are raised.
In many portions of England turnips
and beets can be eaten in the fields where
they grow, and all the trouble of pro
tecting them saved. In other places the
ground freezes so little that only slight
covering is required to keep them till
spring, Land is high, and it is accord
ingly economical to produce as much as
possible from il. Commercial fertilizers
are largely employed for enriching the
soil, and these manures contain no seed
that will cause the soil to become foul
The food for stock purchased from
abroad is very rich in its character, being
chiefly oil cake and corn meal. These
substances can be fed to excellent advan
tage with turnips aud beets Labor i.
comparatively cheap, and there is nc
trouble in obtaining hands to weed ant
thin out plants.
These circumstances are nearly all re
versed in most parts of this country. The
climate is very unfavorable for the pro
duction of the root crops that are in The
highest favor abroad. a large part o.
the country is subject to drouth during
portions of the year when most edibl,
roots attain the greater part of thei
growth. Roots like turnips and beets
that extend considerable distance abov,
the surface of the ground, make very
slow growth during hot and dry weather
while the exposed portions become tougl
and stringy. The climate is also yer,
unfavorable for keeping roots long afte
they have matured. They must be stored
in cellars or kept in pits from the tim
freezing weather commences. To pre-
serve them in this way involves mucl
trouble and expense, and is ATTENDED
with considerable risk More labor l
required to feed them out than is re
quired for other kinds of food. Land i
cheap and there is less necessity fo
making it as productive as possible
Stable manure is generally used for fertil
izing purposes, and as it is ordinarily ar
piled it is almost certain TO cause th
land to be full of weeds. Little oil cak
is fed to any kind of stock, and there is
accordingly, less used for vegetables il
the feeding ration. Labor is compare
lively high, and there is great difficult,
in obtaining men who are willing t
weed and thin out small plants AS tn
employment of machinery is general il
the production of other food crops, un
assisted manual labor seems degrading
1t is true that implements have beel
brought into use for sowing seed, cult
waiting, and for doing much of the worl
of harvesting, but it is still necessary t.
perform considerable manual labor il
raising and harvesting a crop of roots