The Princeton Union

Home-Made Root Cutter.

The root cutter portrayed below was in use in Scotland thirty years ago and the past summer I made a trip of two months and found this same root cutter still in use, even where they were cutting up roots for seventy-five head of winter feeders—steers. Turnips are what they use chiefly in the way of roots, but the climate there is very favorable for their growth, and I saw fields of thirty acres that certainly looked immense. A hard wood plank 3½ feet long and 12 inches wide has a square cut out about the center and two pieces of wood, a and b, are fitted with knives, whatever size desired for the roots intended to be cut, and bolted on the bench. Four legs for it to stand on having been inserted, a piece of hard wood, a, is cut to come down on the edge of the knives and this is fastened to a board or handle, e, attached to the stool part by hinge. A short fork is used to catch a root and place it in the hopper. But one motion and one stroke are required for each root cut. It can be done very quickly. The knives can be put in to cut slices of any thickness, as at d. W. C. Gibson, Farm Superintendent National Home, Wis.

Root Cutting Made Easy.