The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-05-15
CLIMATE AND CROP BULLETIN.

ing, "A Flea Tor hight Ihlnklng."
CLIMATE AND CROP BULLETIN. -
Weather and Crop Conditions in Mime
sofa for the Week Ending May IL.
The weather was moderately warm
early in the week, and decidedly cool
in the latter part, with frosts on the
morning of the 9th, and temperatures
low enough for frosts on the morning
of the 10th. There were general rains
on the 5th and 18th, and on the 9th
there was considerable snow in the
northern half of the state, reaching a
depth of four inches in places; farther
south the snow gave place to rain,
which had sleet or hail mixed with it
occasionally. The very wet conditions
of previous weeks continue in the Red
River valley, so that very little or no
seeding has been possible. In other
parts of the state, field work has been
partly or entirely suspended because of
the wet condition of the soil. In the
southwest considerable corn has been
planted, but elsewhere, except in small
areas, warmer weather is being waited
for before planting. Flax seeding and
potato planting are generally we'll ad-
vanced, and the earliest are coming
up; it is said that the soil is in splen-
did condition for sowing flax on newly
turned sod. There seem to be poor
stands in a few fields in the south
where broadcasted wheat and oats
were blown OUT or buried by the wind
storms of April, but generally all the
small grains are in fine and healthy
condition, the abundant moisture and
cool weather being very favorable for
these grains. Stooling is going on
satisfactorily in the early sown fields.
Pastures are growing nicely, notwith-
standing the cool weather. Glover
and timothy promise we'll. The plum
blossoms are nearly over, and apple
and cherry trees are ready to burst
into bloom. In the extreme southeast
the heavy beating rains of the 9rd
packed the soil so firmly that corn land
then ready to plant will hay e to be pre-
pared again, and some fax may have
difficulty in breaking through the hard
crust. The foliage on the trees has
made rapid advance during the week.
T. S. OUTRAM, Section Director.
Field Roots.
In clearing and breaking land on a
new farm, only a few acres can be
cropped at first. On most of our
farms, stock is an important element.
The capacity of the farm is limited,
not by the lack of pasture, of which
there is usually an abundance, but by
the ability to grow winter forage.
Roots make excellent feed for cattle or
sheep, and the large yields which may
be obtained on small area make the
crop very desirable one in this Sec
tion. Roots should not be depended
on for the main feed, which should be
furnished by hay or corn fodder, but
fed in small quantities with these fod-
ders they keep the animal in healthy
condition so that it digests all it's food
better and comes through the winter
in good condition. The roots raised
for this purpose may be either man
gels, rdtabagas and turnips, carrots or
sugar beets. At the experiment farm,
rutabagas have always given the larg-
est yield, averaging about 20 tons per
acre. They are also the best adapted
OF any roots to new land. They are
excellent feed for sheep and for COWS,
but under certain conditions may give
avtaste to the milk. Mangels have
yielded 16 to Is tons per acre and are
best used as food for cattle, although
sheep relish them. Carrots have given
yields of 10 to IL tons per acre. They
may be fed to horses with better re-
suits than any other kinds of roots.
Sugar beets in all trials have fallen be-
low mangels or rutabagas in yield, CIV
ing only 10 to II tons as against the
much greater yields of the others.
They are rather out of their zone of
best growth in northern Minnesota.
Aside from light yields, they make a
better feed than mangels, as they con-
tain more food and less water.
Roots should never be fed whole, to
cattle or sheep as it Injuries the teeth
of the sheep to bite them, and cattle
may choke upon them. A root cutter
or a box and spade should be used to
slice them up. .Rutabagas may be
broadcasted on breaking, but for man.
gels or sugar boots the ground should
be well prepared and fairly clean Of
weeds, as it takes too much time to
keep the weeds out Of a crop Of roots