The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-10-24
Tho Season For Turnins.

The root crops are greatly over
looked In this country, but in Europe
no farmer would expect success with
out the aid of turnips, beets, carrots,
parsnips or potatoes, for it is well
known that under very favorable con-
ditions 1000 bushels may be grown
upon an acre, though the average is
muck less. In England much of the
literature devoted to agriculture Is Of
stock raising and root or dubious
crops. When it is considered that the
English farmer pays an annual sum
for rent equal to the cost of a farm
in the United States, and that he
makes sheep and turnips pay all the
expense, It should encourage our farm
ers to give more attention to the NUT
ton breeds Of sheep and to the adyant-
ages of the root crops as food for
stock. A leading English scientist,
Mr.. j. S. Remington, calls the atten-
don of farmers TO the advantages Of
selecting the best varieties, and the
Importance not only of saving seed
from the best plants, but also OF max
ing comparative tests in order to deter
mine the most suitable varieties for
each particular farm, the quality, and
also the yields. BY so doing the vari-
cites can be greatly improved. In
fact, by selection, the farmer can
double his yields, and also secure va
rieties specially adapted to his farm.
There are farmers living who can
remember when the tomato was small
and watery, and they have noticed
wonderful changes in corn, wheat,
oats and other plants that have been
made by selection. The root crops
have also been improved. for every
year new and better varieties are Of
fered, but more work is before those
farmers who are willing to further i'm
prove in that direction.
The Improvement Of farm root crops
-mangels. turnips, etc.-should be
done with regard to diminishing the
amount of water contained and in
croasing the proportion of sugar,
starch and protein. The experiments
made by the Messrs. Carter, of Eng
land, show that all roots have a tend
ency to contain an excess of water,
which in itself is valueless, and some
varieties are claimed to contain water
to a harmful degree. In the root crops
small deviation in the percentage of
water materially affects the feeding
value, as ton Of one kind may con
tain twice as much solid matter as a
ton of another variety. 1t is an adj
vantage, as well as necessity, there
fore, that the farmer ascertain the
weight of the solids in crop This
he can do by sending samples to the
State experiment station. The specific
gravity Of a root is guide to its
Keeping quality, and the specific grayi-
ty Of the juice is a guide to its feeding
quality. Hence, when the density Is
highest in Doth the juice and the
whole root the value OF the crop for
feeding is the greatest. The farmer
can easily ascertain these facts with
out the aid Of the experiment station,
but the station can assist him in ar
riying at a knowledge OF the proper
lions Of sugar, protein and mineral
matter contained. The proportion Of
sugar in roots Is important, as the
more sugar the greater the value of
tue roots as assistants in fattening
animals. The farmer who knows
something Of the value of roots may
secure more valuable crop with less
yield than from a larger crop that
contains a low percentage of solids
and an excess Of water, and he should
therefore, eIdeayor to become thcr,
oughly informed In that direction.
Roots add value TO all other foods
because OF the fact that during the
winter, when dry food Is the rule, tho
use Of turnips, beets or carrots gives a
change from the dry ration to mors
succulent kind. Digestion is, there.
fore, promoted, and all kinds o. food
become more beneficial, because more
thoroughly digested and assimllated
Cooking roots for stock is not now
practiced, compared with formerly, as
inventors have introduced root slicers
or pulpers, which prepare such foods
for stock with but little labor and with
rapidity, thus placing before the farm.
er of to-day advantages. which he
should not overlook. 1t Is past the
time for putting In crops of beets and
carrots, but July is the month for
growing turnips. Since so much in.
jury has been done the grain crops ip
some sections this year the farmers
who may give their attention to tur.
nlps VIII large.y recover their loss OF
feeding material. The turnip crop Is
now one OF the cheapest produced OF
the farm. considering the large Yields
that arc possible, as seeds drills, whee,
hoes and hand cultivation enable the
grower to put In the seeds and keer
down the weeds with as little outlay
per acre as for corn. The turnip is
summer and fall crop, and can be
grown In a short time. The growing
OF but an acre Of turnips VIII provide
the farmer in the winter season with
food that Is valuable from dietary
point OF View, even II II Is low IN solids
aud contains large Drouortlon IA