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Tous lea autrea exempleires originaux sont filmAs en commen^ent per la premiere pege qui comporte une empreinte dlmpreaaion ou d'illuatration et en terminent par la darniire pege qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un dee symboles suivents spparaltra sur la darniire imege de cheque microfiche, selon le ces: le symbols ^ signifie "A 8UIVRE". le symbole ▼ signifie "FIN". Les cartaa. planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent *tre filmte A dee taux de reduction diffArants. Lorsque le document est trop grsnd pour itre reproduit en un soul clichA. il est filmi i pertir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche * droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'imeges n^cessaira. Les diagrammes suivents illustrent le mOthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 iirapHMiMqmipiiP ^mmmmmfm '•■^'^■^^■"iiir"'^ •V', wip=i"il" ^mm ^ma^mm GKOWING ROOTS ^3 A. PA.PER RKAO BT JOHN FI2TEE Macdottatd College, P.Q. BtrOBB TBB STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY 1911 PBtNTSD BY OMDSB Of PABU4UBNT OTTAWA PRINTED BT 0. H. PARMKLIE, PRINTER TO THE KING'S MOST .KXCJilJJCNl MAJSttry 1911 10180— 1 m^mmmn^- '^"^mm^mfmrn^m^Km npti ■IP GROWING ROOTS ■T John Fizter, Macdonatd College, P.Q. The importr ee o' the root orop, for the economical foedinff of all kinds of lire stock, is lonr ..■ xperiinental stage. Dairymen and beef producers find that when roots r"^ ..u keep in better condition, and the flow of milk and the pro- duction of 4 th lessened cost. Poultry-keepers and hog-raisers also find that when t.. no jrass, roots are the best and cheapest substitute. There is nothing fed to animals that is more relished. Roots appear to act as a tonic and help to make all other dry feed palatable. There is about 90 per cent of water in root*, but this water seems to have a most beneficial effect upon the digestion o£ the animals. The feeding of roots will enable the feeder to diminish the quantity of meal in the ration, and thus lessen the cost of production, as meal is much more expensive. Eight pounds of roots are equivalent to one pound of meal. Root* have a corrective effect upon all animals which are being forced, especially with cows that are producing large quan- tities of milk, and with steers that are putting on large quantities of flerfi. Roots may be successfully grown throughout Canada. The Dominion census statistics report an acreage of 236,622 acres with an average yield of 402-36 bushels per acre, valued at $21,444,000. On the Macdonald College farm the average yield was 1.00ft bushels, the highest yield being 1,150 bushels per acre. If the crop of the Dominion had been equal to the one grown on the College farm, the value would have been $53,823,000. This is more than double the amount of the Dominion yield, and yet does not reach the limit of production. Farmers might with profit devote larger acreage to the growing of roots. Soil. Roots will grow on all soils that contain a reasonable amount of plant food and where the water does not come too near the surface. Should the field chosen have different kinds of soil, select tY light soil for carrots, the medium for mangeb and the heavy for turnips. Mangels, or sugar mangels, usually give g(x>d crops on peaty soil when a light coating of barnyard manure has been applied. Flmce in the Rotation. Mangels, carrots, turnips, and sugar mangels do4)e»t when sown on an overturned clover sod. If possible select a field that has bad but one season's hay crop taken off. 80150—14 'mmmmmmF The root! will then b«Te the benefit of the fertilising ekmenta of the clover roots whidi, in one acre of the average clover sod, should be equal to the amount of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash contained in 13 to IS tons of barnyard manure. Preytimtiaa of the Soil. Previous summer, or after-harvest cultivation is advised. Immediately after removing the hay crop plough very shallow, roll, disc harrow, and harrow sufficiently to make a fine surface and keep down all plant growth until autumn. This can be accomplished by keeping the cultivator going at intervals on very warm sunnj days; each time going over the field set the cultivator a little deeper, so that the last cultiva- tion will be at least 8 to 10 inche!> deep. If manure is then applied, rib up the land in ribs 2 feet apart, and leave until spring. If no manure is applied the land may either be ribbed or thoroughly ploughed, and well set up to permit the action of the winter frost. Another and more profitable way of preparing the soil is as follows: After the hay crop is removed, plough the land 4 to 5 inches deep, roll with a heavy lund roller a sufficient number of times to thoroughly pack the soil. Next disc harrow, and harrow thoroughly ; then sow the field with rape, or white turnips in rows wide enough apart to cultivate between them. The cultivator should be kept going at short intervals to destroy and prevent the growth of weeds and other vegetation. This cultivation improves the physical condition of the soil by fining it, extending the feeding area for roots and aids in the conservation of moisture. By this method the land will be return- ing a profit, and the soil will be prepared for the root crop to follow. With either method of preparation duep tillage in the S' .umn is advisable. As a general rule the ordinary plough should never go deeper tl < to turn over the surface, or dark coloured layer, which contains most of the humus or plant food. If deeper ploughing is done, and the raw subsoil brought to the surface, the soil will become less productive. It is, however, desirable to loosen the subsoil 8 or 10 inches deep, so that rain water will percolate into the subsoil, and thus increase the water-holding capacity, and allow the air free access into the soil to warm it, and produce the necessary conditions for the bacteria to act on the vegetable matter and make it available for plant food. Another benefit in loosening the subsoil is to allow the rootlets of deep rooted plants to pene- trate and feed on the mineral matter contained in the subsoil. Xannring. Should you have any manure on hand in the autumn a light dressing, say 12 to 15 tons per acre, should be applied. For autumn ploughing I would advise ploughing a narrow furrow and setting it well up so that the manure will not be turned into the bottom of the furrow, but can be seen from the top and evenly distributed throughout. This, along with the good green clover sod t'"at has been ploughed under, should be equal to about 22 to 25 tons of manure per acre. If no manure is on hand in the autumn I should advise a coating of green, or fresh, manure being applied during the winter. If possible draw direct from the stable tc the field. Should there be no snow, or little snow, spread from the wagon or with the manure spreader; the latter is preferable, as it will do the work much more evenly than can be done by hand. Should the tnow be deep, or «hould there be any danger of waihinc away, put the manure in ■mall pile* about eight yarda apart each way, and ipread aa aoon ai the mow is gone in apringtime. It is ewcntial to have the manure ipread early ao that it will get incor- porated with the toil, and be turned under much more easily when ploughing. The spring ploughing should be shallow, and as short a tiir.e as possible before the planting season. If the land has been ribbed or drilled in the autumn the ribs should DC split with the same plough* they were set up with, and a very fine tilth made before sowing. Drilling or sowing on the flat. — Drilling is preferred, as it is very much easier to work the young plants when thinning, and better for the roots to have tho soil slightly worked away instead of covering them. Make the drills 24 inehex apart, then roll with the heavy land roller, thus flattening them down to about one-third of their original height. The field should then be in good condition for sowing. ▼ABIETIE8. Among the numerous varieties the following will be found to give good resulta : — Mangelt.—lhe Mammoth Long Red are types we recommend, as they have more feeding value and usuolly give heavier crops than the Tatkarda or Globes. Sow 6 to 8 pounds of seed per acre. Sugar mangels, White or Rosy. This is a new and distinct variety, being :. cross between the mangel and sugar beet. It contains the rich quality of the sugar beet with the heavy production, size and keeping qualities of the mangel. The roote are clean, and leaves usually email, making them easily harvested. They are solid and rich in feeding value. Sow six to eight pou Is of seed per acre. Swede*. Prize Purple Top, Han .. Westbury, Magnum Bouum, Kangaroo, Hart- ley's Bronae Top. All are excellent varieties. Sow three to four pounds of seed per acre. 3'Mmtp», fall varietiet. — Greystone, Imperial Green GloW, Purple Top Mamnmth, Cow Horn and Red Top White Globe. Those varieties are not as gootl keepers and should be fed off in the early part of the season. Sow three to four pounds per acre. Carrots. — Improved Short White, Mammoth, White Intermediate, Large White Vosges, Red Carrots, Guerande, Ox Heart or Early Gem. All are heavy croppers and liave excellent feeding qualities. Sow 2J to 3i pounds of seed per a<'re. Jjean, seed in all coses would do if all grew and produced strong healthy plants, but in order to have a perfect stand I should advise the amounts named. More failures in securing a good catch of roots are due to not sowing enough seed than to over-seeding or almost any other caube. It is much easier and cheaper to thin out the plants than to transplant them. MACHINES FOE SOWING. To the best of my knowledge there is no satisfactory horse-drawn seeding machine. Very good results are obtained by the use of '.be hand machine made with cupa inside the drum. The eupa fill with seed as the machine revolves, and deposit the seed at the opening; while the smootn drum horse machine very often clogs, especially with the larger seeds, and thus causes blanks in the row. Manufacturers making th* ■RP MP horw iBMhiM tlionU roakt it mora like the hand nutdiine. Mi that ia nquired m to cn!ai«e the leed bo»w to almut twii» their preMitt aiM, and to have a ou» oppoaite each n the planta with the usual benefits of cultivation. Cultivating should begin when the plants are quite small, and th" cultivator should be kept going at short intervals until the leaves of the plant e covered the space between the rows. Eureitiiif. Mangels and sugar mangels growing, as they do, so much above ground, and being thus exposed, are more susceptible to fr< >me aoft, iiiid heat; and if froa«>n tli«y will »poil in at..rui{e. The cuuiniou pructi e, and the most advisable in taking up mangels and sugar inangelit which grow well up out of the ground is to pull and top them by hand. Each root i« pulled, with both hand^, then all the tops are gatlierwi together, and with a sudden jerk the totm are broken off. It is mu'h better to break or twist the tops off by hand, for when toppefl with the knife they are more liable to din-ay. For convenieiiee in loading into carts or wagons, throw four drills into one mw; thiit is convenient for both ptdler* and loaders. If there is no danger of frost, allow the roots to remain on the gr<-'--id twenty-four ours after being pulled and topped, as this will improve their keeping qualities by < tg them, nnd any soil pulled will shake off much easier before reaching the 'i>ot i^llr If there are any indicatitms of frost, roots should be either housed or covt-rcit .vith leaves, as a few degrees of frost will injure mangels after they am pulled. Should mangels get frost bitten, allow them t. ■.naiii in t) - told to thaw out before handling them, as the least handling whe; ''"'sen will bicak the skin and encourage rot. Sugar beets a. d carrots are more difficult to harvei^t owing to their long underground roots. It is best to run a subsoil plough or an ordinary plough without a mouldboard along one side of the row, loosening and cutting off some of the strong fibrous roots, and thus enable the puller to take up several roots at one time. They ere usually pulle-shared plough with the mouldboard remove