St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-11
ROOTS FOR STOCK.
Extracts from Recent Bulletin of the
Massachusetts Agricultural College.

Extracts from Recent Bulletin of the
massachusetts Agricultural College.
The various kinds Of roots usually
on farms for feeding purposes differ
essentially in regard 10 the amount OF
dry vegetable matter they contain.
Turnips contain from 7 to s per cent,
ordinary mangOlds from II to II per
cent, improved varieties Of beet roots,
like Lanes, from - to IS per cent,
good carrots from IA to Is per cent,
a. good sugar beet from Is to 20 per
cent. of solid, or, in other words, one
ton of an improved variety of good
sugar beets is equal to from two to two
and one-half tons of ordinary turnips
as far as the amount of dry vegetable
matter is concerned. Modes of Guilt
walton and of manuring exert a decided
influence in this direction on the com
position of the roots. Large roots OF
the same variety contain quite frequent
" less solid matter than the smaller
ones. Close cultivation in the rows, in
connection with the use of Well-decayed
manural matter as fertilizer, tends to
produce good results. The difference
iii the amount of solids. as far as each
kind of root is concerned, is otherwise
due, in the ma Ority Of cases, to more
or less perfect maturity. A liberal
manurlng with potash and nitrogen, IN
connection with a scanty supply OF
phosphoric acid, is frequently the cause
of immatured roots at the ordinary har-
vest time.
To raise roots the second year, after
liberal application Of coarse barnyard
manure, or the turning over of grass
lands, with the assistance of some COM
mercial phosphate fertilizer in the in
terest of a timely maturity, is highly
recommended by practical cultivators
of sugar beets. To stimulate in the
roots the production Of the largest pos
sible amount of sugar and starch must
be the object of the cultivatOr, for
these two constituents OF roots control,
more than any other one, their increase
in solids. The Importance quite gen.
orally conceded to the introduction of
liberal cultivation of root crops in a.
mixed farm management, wherever
deep soil and the general character
of the climate favors their normal de-
velopment, rests mainly on the following
consideration: They furnish, if proper
ly MANFRED and cultivated, an excep-
tionally large quantity of valuable veg
etable matter fit for fodder for various
kinds of farm live stock, competing in
this direction favorably with our best
green fodder crops; and they pay well,
on account of large returns for the
necessary care bestowed npon them by
thorough deep cultivation to meet
success.
The physical conditions of the SOIL.
however favorable they may have been
for the production of crops of a similar.
character, will suffer, if year after year
the same system of cultivation is carried
out Diversity in the mechanical treat,
ment of the soil, and change.
of season for such treatment,
can not otherwise but affect adj
vantageously it's mechanical condition
and the degree of its chemical disin-
tegration, promoting thereby its fitness,
for development inherent plant food, as
well as its power of turning to account
atmospheric resources plant growth.
The roots of the same plants abstract
their food, year after year, from the
same layer of soil, while a change of
crops with reference to different root
system renders it possible to make all
parts of the agricultural soil contribute
in a desirable succession toward an
economical production of the crops to
be raised. Deep-rooting plants, like
our prominent root crops, for this
reason, deserve particular considera--
ton in the planning of a rational system
of rotation of crops. To raise improved
varieties of roots should be the rule.
Root crops, although somewhat peculiar
in their composition when compared
with many of our prominent fodder
articles, have proved very valuable
constituent in the diet of various kinds
of farm live stock, when properly sup
plemented by hay, grains, oil-cake,
bran, ETC., as circumstance may advise.
Our experience at the experiment sta
ton confirms fully the valuable services
of roots as an ingredient of fodder ra-
tons for mich COWS.