Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-06-05
Roots.

Those farmers who never grova crop
Of roots have missed valuable expert
enoe. 4 COED stock Of roots in the eel-
lar At the outset Of wintef very much
simplifies the business Of feeding. II
matters very little what kinds Of roots
are grown; every animal upon the farm
IS contented and happy with any Of
them And certainly the farmer who
once experiences their value viii rare
" after be without a stock of them But
As one can not enjoy perfect happiness
without preparatory term Of discipline
and cEitare, 50 the r0ot-erower, before
he achieves full success, has some trib-
alation 10 pass through. II is not so
easy TO grow roots rs 10 grow corn at
the first start of the crop-because of
the tenderness of the young plants and
their frail hold upon the soil Rough
culture viii kill them before Il will hurt
the weeds; while corn. being strongly
and deeply rooted. can be hoed, and
even narrowed. while il is small. with
out injury. IL is necessary. therefore.
that the land should be clean and rich
for roots; clean. that the crop may not
be smOthered BY weeds or disturbed by
their removal. and rich. that the plants
may be quickly pushed ahead OF their
early weak condition.
The roots chiefly grown are tsirnips.
rutabagas. mangels and sugar beets- A
great deal is said and written about
growing carrots and parSnips BY per-
sons who never grew one, but practi-
cally these are garden crops rather thaa
field croDs tor the farm They are the
most difficult of all roots to grow and
the most labOrious 20 harvest. because
Of their length and slenderness and the
readiness with which they are broken
Nor are they any more nutritious than
other roots. Notwithstanding the oft-re-
pea.ed statements to the contrary. OF
all the roots sugar-beets contain the
largest quantity Of nutritious substance.
rutabagas next, then mangels. parsnips
and carrots. and turnips last of all.
Sugar beets and mangels are the most
easily grown. because they are not sub
ject 10 the attacks of the dea-beeile.
wlich often ruins the young surnips be-
fore they are beyond their first leaves.
and the most easily harvested. because
they grow mostly out Of the ground.
The soil for roots should be well pre-
paved Fall manuring and plowIng are
required for the best results. and the
manure should be decOmposcd. and
thorough Pulverization OF the soil is in-
dispensable. Early planting Is required.
and the first week in MAY is = COOL sea-
son to get the seed in. We have grown
excellent mAngels and sugar be Is from
Juhe planting. but as the roots are ten
=. a
well 10 have the crop dug aud 5ut of
the way before there Is danger of freez-
ing. and to run no more risk than can
be helped This seeding is advisable.
rs the seed is often far from as good as
il might be. and an even stand Is deSira-
bic, 10 have the rows cell filed ~. II
is not worth while TO try TO transplant
roots into vacant spaces; il is grea;
dea. Of labor. and generally the work is
thrown away. because the transp'anted
roots make but a weak growth II is
far cheaper to use two pounds more OF
seed TO the acre than TO have many
vacant spaces in the rows, as the cost
Of the seed Is one dollar. while the loss
in the crop may easily amount 10 -everal
tons through imperfect seed Six
pounds of beet or mangel seed 70 the
acre, with rows thirty inches apart; two
pounds of rutabagas or turnips. and five
pounds o. carrots or ParSnips are sufii-
cient The seed should be covered at
least one inch. aud the ground over the
seed should be rolled. A small seed.
drill is generally used for sowing the
seeds. and it covers them at the same
time. By the help of the drill four
acres can be sown in one day by a man
or boy. The dr.n leaves the seed sowu
in rows that sre marked by the roller,
so that the spaces can be worked with
out delay by the horseshoe. which II
necessary to be done soon to prevent
the growth Of weeds. A week afteI
planting is long enough 10 deer this
first cultivation When the plants ap-
pear in the rows they are to be
heed out to ten inches apart After
this the whole work consists in
keeping the crop clear of weeds up 20
the time when the growth of the leaves
shades the ground sufficiently. In thin
ming ont the rows the work Is done
very conveniently BY running q hsne
cultivator across the rows. by which ths
teD-inch spaces are cut out very muck
more quickly than by the bos-& J.
Inns