154 REPORT ON THE CULTIVATION OF MANGOLD WUKZEL. 



sowing machine, with holes made large enough for mangold seed, 

 is commonly used for sowing. 



It is a great matter to bring mangolds early "to the hoe ;" but 

 if sown too early they either do not germinate, frost kills them, 

 or they run to seed. By steeping the seed, either in water or in 

 damp sand, several days are generally gained. In sowing steeped 

 seed care must be taken to secure a moist seed bed, for should it 

 be checked by drought after germination its vitality is easily de- 

 stroyed. From that circumstance many farmers do not attempt 

 this practice; but with ordinary care, and sowing immediately after 

 the drills are formed, little fear need be entertained regarding its 

 safety. Mr Mechi writes me : — " Our climate is too dry for swedes ; 

 I steep my mangold seed in damp sand for ten days previous to 

 sowing, until it spears a little, and I never miss a plant." 



Summer Cultivation. — Like the swede, the mangold should be 

 carefully and perseveringly weeded during the whole summer. 

 The younger the weeds are taken, the less expense will be required 

 to keep the land clean. It is surely a mistaken notion to suppose, 

 that by letting the weeds come to size less expense will be re- 

 quired, because they would not require to be weeded so often. 

 Much longer time is required for a seed such as the black mustard, 

 for example, to become a plant with leaves 2 to 3 inches long, 

 than for a plant of that size to become one four times as large ; but 

 every weecler knows she can get over the ground twice as quick 

 with weeds of the former size as with those of the latter ; so 

 where is the saving ? Besides, weeds pulled in the former stage 

 entirely disappear in a day or two, while those pulled in the 

 latter stage often lie in the drills for weeks ; it is no uncommon 

 sight to see them clogging, like hay, on the drill harrow or 

 grubber, and mutilating the leaves of the growing crop. Another 

 argument might be adduced — the young weed, in its growth from 

 the state of seed until it becomes a plant having leaves 2 to 3 

 inches long, takes very little nutriment from the soil, but in its 

 growth from that size till it becomes a plant four times as large, 

 it commits wholesale robbery, at a time, too, when it should be 

 remembered it is very important to have as much available 

 nutriment in the immediate vicinity of the plant we wish to 

 cultivate as possible. 



When the largest leaf of the mangolds is about 3 inches long, 

 the plants should be thinned out to the distance apart fixed upon, 

 leaving say two, or at most three, plants in each clump ; they may 

 then stand for a considerable time without injury, till a favour- 

 able opportunity presents itself for singling and transplanting, 

 and even until most of those which will run to seed are showing 

 signs of so doing, and can, accordingly, be pulled. 



Transplanting should be committed to the care of well-tried 

 hands only, and should be done when the barometer is falling, or 



