| Show of flat turnips many farmers will not grow any of alie beat varieties of roots for cattle on account of alio expense of weeding and proper cultivation and it may not be out of place to remind them that after any grain crop some kind of manure can be applied and a great many turnips grown to feed to sheep to calves and to any cattle excepting cows giving milk turnips will do well sown broadcast if the soil is well prepared and the seeds evenly and not too thickly distributed tri buted but a drill that will not run the seed more than is required without thinning will be belter because there are so few men who can tow at all regularly turnips must be singled out and the ground hoed thoroughly but the very mention of doing any labor to a root crop will deter hundreds from trying them I can well remember the old fashioned english farmers growing turnips about the year 1820 and some being had between the rows of horse beans which crop grows and ripens like corn in the united slates much later than grain but labor being cheaper in england some men weald thin them out and cut all weed for from two up to three dollars an acre farmers should consider the age of growing turnips because of the dine rence it makes to young stock if they have them every day in sufficient quantity to distend tho stomach not in a potbellied pot bellied way but by bowing out the ribs in a barrel shape it is the absence of roots aind the feeding of too much meal and rich food that causes abo degeneration of many pure bread animals I am not recommending the cultivation and growth of the common turnip in preference to other roots but in consequence of the difficulty of persuading farmers to go to the trouble of producing the better sorts I have myself been hindered from growing carrots for more than twenty years excepting in very small plats but this yer I have nearly three acres of gi eat promise these carrots arc from four pounds of seed bought of landreth and at least ten plants have ben cut or pulled out for every one loft it is of essential consequence to obtain all varieties of agricultural seeds from reliable sources common turnips although of less value per ton and not proper to give to cows on account of the unpleasant flavor to the butter aro yet of great service for as they can be cheaply grown a farmer can well ord to give a little meal shaken ever the cut or gulped pulped mess fed to the animals which it is desired should flesh it is admitted that indian corn is to a certain extent an but for young cattle and especially there is a decided advantage in feeding both on the score of health if all the labor of attendance on a corn crop is reckoned it will be found to fall a short of tho cost of raising a good root crop and an equal number of acres in roots and corn would be quite an advantage on every stock farm and the manura is much increased where there is nn abundance of roots therefore let common turnips be grown which will lead to the growth of other roots and the increase of fertility generally which of course means prosperity to the proprietor geo gardner in cory gettleman Geft leman |
