Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-04-05
PROFITABLE ROOT CROPS.

1t is perhaps unfortunate that the
attention OF farmers has been SO
strongly and exclusively directed to
potatoes as profitable crop to be
generally grown. 1t has undoubtedly
led to the too extensive planting OF
potatoes, especially in the far West.
where ordinarily the climate is not
adapted to potato growing, and where
four years out of five the crop must be
a failure. When it does succeed under
this extensive planting the market is
sure to be glutted, so that not even
those who grow potatoes under the
most favorable circumstances, and who
thoroughly understand the business,
can make anything. Such misfortune
| to potato growers occurred in 1895.
1t is vet to be seen whether 1896 will
not repeat the lesson. Prices of pota-
toes are much lower now than they
usually are at this season, though
probably the amount in farmers
hands. thanks to last years dearly
bought experience, is less than it was
year ago.
In the meantime shrewd farmers
WIZ ISNO LII -uc Lut IuOSb IuOutH III
growing potatoes, finding this crop no
longer profitable, huve given their at
tention to the growing of other roots,
yielding quite us largely as potatoes,
end for the past two years paying
much better. 1t is true that carrots,
parsnips, beets, turnips and rutabagas
have not so extensive and sure market
as have potatoes. Undoubtedly also
if any one or ali OF these were to be as
extensively planted as the potato has
lately been, their prices would go be-
low paying rates. Yet at the risk of
repeating the mistake OF Secretary
Morton, we call attention to .hs com
paratively high prices of all these
various root crops in the Boston mar
ket. Each one is, either retail or
wholesale, dearer than potatoes, and
on most land each can be grown in
larger crops and at less cost per bushel
1t is not very hard to grow 700 or
500 bushels of carrots or parsnips per
acre on good land. The work of weed
ing and thinning the plants while
young is the most troublesome aud
disagreeable part OF it. When grown
with such yields as this, absolute loss is
hardly possible. as the roots are valua.
bic for stock, and will be bought by
dairymen and horsemen Tor more than
it costs to grow them. While potatoes
are not good stock feed, especially for
COWS, there is nothing better for them
for producing milk or butter than lib
eral feedings of carrots or parsnips.
All horsemen will buy, at higher than
oat prices, carrots for their horses.
Half oats aud half carrots will keep
horses in better winter condition than
to double the ration of oats without
the roots. An old horseman once told
us when we had any carrots that we
wanted to sell at thirty cents bushel
to bring them to him, but we could
sell at thirty to thirty cents per
bushel to the groceries, and never but
once had occasion to test his offer. The
beet crop, while not so nutritious as
the carrot and parsnip, is still more
easily grown, and is equally palatable
to all kinds of stock. Beets should
also appear on more tables and oftener
tnan they do.
The potato is doubtless more starchy
than any of the roots, but it occupies
too exclusively the foremost place on
oil tables both in city and country.
The roots proper are more digestible.
If greater variety of roots and vege-
tables were eaten it woul1 be better
alike for public health, and for the
diversifcation OF farming industries
which is necessary to make them more
profitable. American Cultivator.