108 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



fully cultivated on light or shallow soils — overlaying the clayey 

 subsoil. The average yield in Massachusetts (427 bushels per 

 acre) was made up from the varieties cultivated. Of the Long 

 Orange and the White Belgian, the largest yield in England 

 was reported by Lord Ducie, twenty-six tons three hundred 

 weight ; by Mr. Harris, thirty-two tons per acre ; and in the 

 Island of Jersey, thirty-eight tons per acre. 



Sugar Beet. — The sugar beet is equal or next in value to 

 the carrot for feeding to stock, but is not as productive as the 

 mangold wurzel, the ordinary yield being about seventy-five 

 per cent, of the mangold ; but its value is doubtless under- 

 estimated rather than overestimated. The ground in prepara- 

 tion should be in as high condition to receive the seed, as is 

 required for the carrot. The following experiment in growing 

 the sugar beet indicates the manner of cultivation most profit- 

 able. 



A square rod, where the plants were left one foot 



apart each way, yielded ..... 192 lbs. 



One and a half feet apart, one square rod yielded, . 235 " 



Two feet apart, one square rod yielded . . . 305 " 



The sugar beet is cultivated in Essex County, seed sowed by 

 hand, in rows two feet apart ; the plants left for maturity, nine 

 inches apart in the rows. The product on one-half acre, well 

 cultivated, was 460 bushels, weighing 22,585 pounds. 



The Mangold Wurzel. — (Beta vulgaris campestris, which 

 signifies root of scarcity,) was cultivated in Germany one 

 hundred years ago, was introduced into England seventy or 

 eighty years ago, and into Massachusetts some thirty years 

 ago. On every farm where it has been introduced as a crop 

 in rotation, and where there is stock to be fed, its cultivation 

 has been generally continued. It may be cultivated on a 

 variety of soils, but it gives the greatest return "on a deep, 

 friable loam in good condition, and which contains a consid- 

 erable quantity of vegetable or organic matter." For deep 

 soils in high condition, the long, red variety should be 

 preferred; for shallow soils, the globe variety will give the 

 greatest yield per acre. Prepare the land in the manner 



