News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-06-26
DOUBLE CROPPING ON THE FARM.
beans and Squashes after POtatOes-AIso
Turnips, and How to Feed Them.
BY PRESIDENT J. NJ. SMITH.

BY PRESIDENT J. NJ. SMITH.
have long been satisfied that few
farmers have true conception OF the
capabilities of their land. I reported
the other day about certain fine crops OF
potatoes, but they were not the entire
product of the soil for that season.
upon one field quick growing variety
OF white beans, here known as Medl-
ums, were planted in the rows some
time IN June. The potatoes, having
been planted very early, were fit to dig
In the latter part of July. The land be-
ing In fine condition, the second crop
came on well, and the beans when fit
were pulled and set up around stakes
about six feet high. Some short pieces
of boards having been put on the ground
to protect the bottom layer. from wet
and mould, we tier them around the
stakes with the roots up. and at the top
tie cord around them to keep them in
place, as well as to help protect them
from the wet weather. This seems to
me the best method of curing this crop
l have ever seen tried. The yield was a
fair one, and the price being high that
year, they sold for So per bushel.
The following season the crop was
taken Off the latter part of July and
first part of August. The land was
plowed and sown with Purple top flat
turnlp seed-in drills Off 1 recollect
arlght), the rows sixteen inches apart.
This was from the 18th to the 18th of
August. The only cultivation needed
was to run through them with the hand
cultlvator, and to thin out the rows in
places where they were too thick. It
was as handsome a crop of fiat turnips
as 1 ever saw. Sometimes there is a
ready sale for all we have at fair price;
but II not, they are always worth to me
| at least their cost for feed. I know
many will say they are worthless for
this purpose. I also know that agricul-
tural chemists say that analyses show
them to contain h very small proportion
OF nutrltlve matter. But simple facts
| are very stubborn things to get over or
around. have fed them every winter
for number of years, and always with
the same result.
In December, 1882, I put seven breed
ing sows into pens and began feeding
them on turnips. They had nothing
| else to eat until March, a short time be-
fore they were expected to come in,
their feed was partially changed, and
am very certain that no reader would
have complained of their not being in
good condition. Years ago I placed in a
pen number of shotes for wintering
A few weeks afterward one of my neigh
bors-one of the best farmers in the
Countrywide looking over the stock
came to this pen of pigs. Says he:
"Well, Smith, [ think those are as fine
and thrifty lot of shotes as I ever saw. "
L asked him what he supposed they had
to eat. He replied that they certainly
must have had good feed, and plenty of
1t. He could scarcely believe me when
| told him that they had been fed upon
Hat turnlps and nothing else for a num-
Der of weeks.
Now, let no reader get the idea that
by raising some turnips and throwing
them out whole and in frozen condi-
ton, or where they will Immediately
freeze, to lot of hogs running in an
open field, with little if any shelter,
they will do well and keep in good con-
dition. My hogs are wintered in warm
pens, where it does not freeze except in
very cold weather. They have plenty
OF bedding. All of the roots [ feed,
whether to horses, cattle or hogs, are
kept where they will not freeze. If
there is dirt to any extent upon them
they are thrown into tubs and stirred
around for minute to clean them, and
are then run through root, cutter be-
fore being distributed to the stock.
Whether turnips, beets, rutabagas, car
rots or parsnips are fed to hogs. they
have all they will eat. For other stock
they are made only partial feed.
Another crop that have successfully
raised in connection with potatoes is the
Hubbard squash. We have now some
six or eight acres planted with Early
Rose potatoes and expect to plant the
squash seednext month in hills say ten to
twelve feet apart each way. By the lat
ter part of July when the potatoes are
dug the vines will have partially covered
the es4eT1nd-~--%+will require some extra
care to prevent injury to them in digging
the potatoes. But we expect to hay
the vines about grown by the middle of
August, and some of the squashes set.
In such cases we consider the crop about
certainty. No one will say that
squashes are not valuable for feed in
case there is no market for them. Hogs,
COWS and young cattle do well upon
them with very little other feed. These
are only few of the crops that have
doubled successfully. But to make a
complete success the farmer must have
good land and it must be we'll fortified.
If it needs draining it must have it.
Finally it must be thoroughly cultivated.
No slipshod, haphazard farmer or
method of farming, will make double
cropping a success.