374 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



than in anv other variety, ret the roots are generally "necky,"' and this 

 means a certain amount of woodiness in the upper half. Paiection 

 White Hwede is the only variety which is free from necks, hence woodi- 

 ness, but the flesh is rather coarse and not sweet. 



Of the strap-leaf or common turnips most of the varieties have also 

 been tested, and among these the globe-shaped forms constitute the 

 most desirable varieties, the white or purple tops for early, and the yel- 

 low or orange fleshed for medium late. For table use. all the varieties 

 Avhicli have been tested, must be used before the are full grown. 



Practically all the varieties of parsnips have been tested. Of these, the 

 L<incj White Duteh variety does not yield best, but is decidedly the best 

 for quality. None of the roots of any variety have ever been damaged 

 by leaving them uuharvested until the following spring, and the quality 

 of all is very much improved thereby. The same applies to salsify, cer- 

 tain varieties of carrots and, in fact, all roots which grow entirely be- 

 low the surface of the ground. 



As for roots exclusively adapted for stock feeding, such as mangels, 

 or the half sugar or true sugar beets, recommendations as to which are 

 the most valuable will be superfluous if the choice of varieties will be 

 left to the cow or its stable companions. Wherever beet pulp can bo 

 secured at a low cost of transportation and handling, none of tlicse 

 varieties can be recommended from an economical standjjoint. On the 

 other hand, if the feeding value of sugar is to be taken into considera- 

 tion, it Avill seem obvious that the mangel is the least valuable among 

 these varieties. Its popularity is mainly due to ease of harvesting; 

 yet between the mangel as one and the sugar beet as the other extreme, 

 stands the half sugar beet or mangel beet as a happy medium, and 

 combining as it does some of the good qualities of both, it may be safely 

 recommended as the most valuable variety for milch cows or shee]). and 

 especially as a winter feed for pregnant animals. Elsewhere the mangel 

 fref|uently outyields the other varieties. Here it has not done so; neither 

 will it do it in any new timbered region, for the larger yield will only 

 be obtained from a deep and well fertilized soil Avhich has been Avorked 

 for a number of years. 



All of the foregoing remarks and recommendations are made while 

 anticipating that no extensive work with root croi)S will hereafter be 

 made at this station. Early or backward, hot or cold, wet or dry. the 

 weatiier conditions have but slightly aflected any of the varieties, and 

 the yields of all have bc^n uniformly large. No less should be expected 

 from any. nor from other hardy vegetables such as lettuce, radishes, etc., 

 in a region witli more than an average amount of moisture, where 

 growth is hastened by a greater amount C)f daylight and twilight dur- 

 ing the growing season; where the highest quality <'xpressed by cris])- 

 ness is thereby secured as well as l»y the abundant and refreshing dews 

 which are insured by the g(Mierally cool nights following even the hot- 

 test days; and where, owing to these climatic conditions, ]dants of 

 this and similar character, are endowed with greater vigor, hence greater 

 recujKMat ive jxjwer when subjectcnl to adverse Aveather conditions. 



CultiH-al experiments, owing to the uni(|ue winter conditions, will be 

 deemed of greater interest hereafter than tiie testing of varieties. This, 

 however, d(K's not apply to sugar l)eets. for the difl'erent jthases of the 

 sugar beet problem have lieen worked out during the ])ast four years 



