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The Country Gentleman s Maga.zinc 



ing being thus made, the earth from the 

 trenches is then carefully laid all round, and 

 this is done in layer after layer until the 

 whole pit is covered with soil, then the 

 surface throughout is well beaten down and 

 smoothed with the spade. Before, however, 

 finally finishing the ridge of the pit, holes 

 should be left at intervals, and filled in with 

 straw ; these act as ventilators to enable 

 the emanations which proceed from the pota- 

 toes being passed off These only come off 

 from the potatoes for some days after being 

 pitted. When the temperature has lowered, 

 and the emanations have ceased, the straw 

 may be taken out of the holes, and these 

 filled up with soil and carefully finished off 

 with the spade, which completes the opera- 

 tion. 



We have so far glanced at the leading points 

 connected with the storing of potatoes. Much 

 of what have been said will apply more or less 

 directly to the storing of turnips and man- 

 golds, which form the mainstay of the stock- 

 feeder. One point, however, we have not 

 touched upon, which concerns all roots alike, 

 and has certainly a very special bear- 

 ing upon turnips and mangolds — namely, that 

 it is highly important that they should be 

 taken out of the soil before they are injured 

 by frost. Many, although quite convinced 

 that they are injured by frost, still think 

 that the loss thus brought about is less 

 than the greater gain secured by allowing 

 them to remain longer in the ground, and 

 thus to attain to a larger size. Now, the truth 

 is, that so great is the deteriorating influence 

 of frost upon the feeding value of roots, that 

 no extra growth obtained by allowing them 

 to remain in the soil for a longer time can 

 compensate for it. Further, the eff"ect of 

 frost, more especially if followed by hot suns, 

 is such as renders the roots peculiarly liable 

 to decay. Still further, it should be remem- 

 bered that no great growth can possibly take 

 place at that period of the year when frosts 

 are likely to take place, and when vegetation 

 as a rule ceases. But however much the 

 farmer may be disposed to run the risk of loss 

 in his turnip crop, by subjecting it to frosts — 



and we do not here lose sight of the fact that 

 some varieties of turnips stand frost better 

 than others, and indeed very well — he knows, 

 or ought to know, that he cannot afford to 

 run any risk with the mangold crop. Should 

 it unfortunately be caught in a frost, and 

 this frost give way, the taking up of the 

 crop must be delayed until the vegetation 

 has a chance of being again renewed. This 

 renewal of vegetation, if it takes place, 

 will do away with, or tend to do away 

 with, much of the deteriorating influences 

 of the frost. This anxiety, however, of the 

 farmer, to save the mangold crop from the 

 effect of frost, should not make him lose 

 sight of the importance of allowing the crop 

 to arrive at maturity, which is indicated by 

 the leaves turning yellow. As soon as this 

 indication is given, no time should be lost in 

 getting up the crop ; and in this crop, as in 

 respect of the turnips, it should be borne in 

 mind that every advantage should be taken of 

 dry weather. The injury done alike to the 

 crop which is being taken up, and to the land 

 which is to bear the succeeding crop, by work- 

 ing on it in wet weather, treading and poach- 

 ing the soil, is very great, and should by all 

 means be avoided. The mangold roots 

 may be taken up by the hand, but the la- 

 bour of lifting will be much eased by the 

 use of a skeleton plough, or plough with- 

 out the mould-board, which run along the 

 under side of the rows, will loosen the soil and 

 enable the roots to be very easily lifted up. 

 The best way to strip the leaves is to breaks 

 not cut, them off Where cutting is adopted, 

 there is a great likelihood of wounding the 

 root, which is bad. The heaps should be 

 made in the most convenient part, and the 

 whole labour so arranged that the carts are 

 kept regularly going to and from them. The 

 width of the heaps will depend upon the 

 season ; if the weather is favourable and the 

 roots dry when got in, the width may, be from 

 8 to 9 feet, and the height when finished off, 

 some 4 or 5 feet. As the heap approaches 

 completeness, the roots should be more care- 

 fully arranged, so as to leave as smooth an 

 exterior as possible. The covering of straw 



