Varieties of Roots. 



135 



grown possess so many drawbacks that their use is not to be recom- 

 mended. There are individual roots in almost any variety of mangels 

 which contain 18 to 20 per cent, of dry matter and it is thought that the 

 selection of such and their perpetuation is the line that should be followed. 

 It would seem that the desideratum in mangels for the present is one of 

 uniform good size, 6 to 8 pounds, containing 20 per cent, dry matter, 

 which will not lose much in weight when stored for 4 or 5 months ; one 

 that has shallow dimples; a single crown; a minimum of neck; a single 

 tap root ; is free from forking and masses of strong fibrous roots which 

 adhere to the tuber and render the crop difficult to harvest and carry 

 considerable soil into the cellar; has good disease-resisting power; pro- 

 duces a reasonable quantity of vigorous seed ; it may be of any shape or 

 color which is easiest to secure; all plants should be uniform in these 

 characters. 



Soils for mangels: 



Mangels may be grown on almost all productive soils. Deep loams 

 are considered best, and are necessary for the production of heavy yields 

 of the long varieties. The Globe 

 and Tankard varieties may be 

 grown on the lighter, shallower 

 soils. 



Climate: 



Mangels, • like sugar-beets, 

 do better where there is con- 

 siderable sunshine. Provided 

 there is a good supply of mois- 

 ture in the soil they will thrive 

 in a warm, dry climate once they 

 are established. They can with- 

 stand drought far better than 

 most other root-crops. 



Rotations for mangels: 



As mangels are an intertilled 

 crop, they may be grown between 

 two grain crops or after another 

 intertilled crop which has been 

 heavily manured, as cabbages. 

 In some places success has been 



Fig. 46. — Improved Purple Top rutabagas. 

 One of the best yielding kinds. Its long 

 neck and divided roots are against it, 

 however. 



attained by growing them after clover which has been down for 

 one year. As they are not harvested until late in the fall the grain crop 



