Year: 1874

Ihe chemists of this country and those of
Europe nave often analyzed almost every kind
OF cattle food for the purpose of sscertaining
the nutritive value each one contained. TAX
ing good meadow hay as the standard by
which all other kinds of cattle food Is COM
pared, see that some of the chemists find
one pound of hay equal to about six and
three-fourths of beets, and that Others find
the and one-half pounds o, beets equal 10
one OF hay. Snow, who shall decide when
doctors disagree?' Without making n deci-
sion, let us add the two extremes together.
which will amount to ten and a quarter
This divided by two, the number of doctors.
gives us five and one-eighth pounds of beets
as nutritive equivalent tor one pound of hay.
Taking this estimate as acorrect one, il hay
is worth $50 per toL, beeB are worth eleven
cents and seven mills per bushel. But the
value here given is the rutritve value alone,
without estimating the advantages derived
from their use in othe. respects. From ex-
perlments made in feeding beets, their prac-
tical value has been made to range from 13 to
"a cents per bushe, with hay at $50 per ton.
An exact estimate Of the practical value of
beets for cattle food Is difficult matter as it
is now, and ever will be, hid from mortal ken.
The improved condition of the COW (when
fed to cows during the winterl, her increased
usefulness during the entire season, her les
sened liability to sickness and disease which
high feeding with any one of the different
kinds OF grain induces, her heightened lease
of life her evident satisfaction and perfect
contentmeLt, which is so plainly manifested
while eating her daily ration of roots, are
each and every one legitimate items to be TAX
en- into the account in estimating the practi-
cal, the actual valne of Deets as food for dairy
stock.


Atter carefully looking at the subject in all
its bearings so far as my limited experience
mas given me opportunity to do so, L have
come to the conclusion that beets for cattle
food are well worth fully as many cents per
bushel as good hay is worth dollars per ton,
without taking into consideration the in
creased value OF the manure, and that the av-
erage cost, when stored in the cellar or put
into pits, with every item of expense iuclud-
ed, need not exceed eight cents per bushel.


Now, as the price of hay in Cedtral New
York will probably average over S12 per ton
during the next decade, do not discover any
risk in growing beets for our dairy stock.


My advice to all dairymen who are not con-
vinced in regard to their cost and their value
as cattle food, would be to try small piece
each year until "they become fully persuaded
in their own minds" not only of the cost of
beets, but also of their value as food for dairy
stock.


will conclude this paper, already too long,
by saying that since its first appearance in
print have had two years additional expert
ence in growing and feeding roots. Two
years ago, my success with Lanes Improved
Imperial Sugar Beet had been all that could
have desired. But during the month OF July,
for the past two seasons, this beet has been
struck with rust. By a liberal dressing of
salt the injury to the crop from rdst will be
greatly lessened, yet nearly one months
growth was lost each season with this beet,
when the other kinds grown in the same field,
planted at the same time, and treated in all
respects alike, were not affected in the least
by the rust or blight.


I would also add, that the more I feed
beets 10 dairy stock, the greater value place
upon them as good, nutritious, health-pro-
noting cattle food.-Hdrris Le,cis before the
Little Folks N. W Fdrmers' Club.