326 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



during 



diminished in quantity, is certain. The root, 

 the sjring, loses a large proportion of moisture, ihe 

 quality becomes sensibly altered, and the sugar has 

 also undergone a chemical change, which causes 

 it to act upon the intestines of the animal less 

 violently than in its early stages, and which, as I before 

 stated, may be altogether avoided by combining it with dry 

 fooJ, and f;iving it in rao^erate quantity. Cattle, however, 

 that'have been fed upon it from an early age, are never ob- 

 served to become afterwards aflfected by it. Some discussion 

 has taken place upon its being iujurious to sows in farrow, and 

 to very young pigs, which, although not invariably the case, 

 ouglit to be obviated. I prevent it as much as possible by 

 scHding them away to a yard where it cannot be obtained, but 

 for pigs from four to twelve months old it is highly beneficial. 

 I also object to giving it to the ewes in lamb, as I have some- 

 times fouud that it has been attended with bad results, and, 

 as a geueral rule, ought to be avoided ; but wherever it can be 

 combined with other descriptions of roots or cabbages it is 

 excellent. Horses can be fed upon it with advantage, and in 

 small quantities daily it may always be successfully used. By 

 a statement I received from an intimate friend, the result of 

 such a mode is giveu by him as follows. The horses I in- 

 spected, and they certainly appeared in healthy and good 

 working condition. Expense of keeping 8 horses for 18 weeks 

 at, per week, £2 68. 8d. 2^ bushels each horse per day at 4d. 

 (the exact cost per bushel), or Ss. lOd. each horse per week. 

 One and-a-half bushel when at light work, 4s. per day, £1 Ss. 

 per week, or on an average £1 17s. 4d. per week. The roots 

 were given whole, and the horses had sufficiency of good oat 

 straw iu addition, which, at Is. 6d. each, is 123. ; altogether 

 £2 93. 4d, per week. Eight other horses, at one and-a-half 

 bushels of oats eaeh horse per week, is 12 bushels, at 3s., £1 

 16s. ; half ton of trussed hay in addition, £1 lOs.; average 

 per week £3 6s. ; so that the keep in one instance was £2 

 93. 4d. per week, in the other £3 6s. — in my opinion, not 

 sufficient profit to enable it to be adopted, especially upon 

 farms principally arable, where the manufacture of manure is 

 of great consideration. Six oxen might have been maintained 

 in addition to the horses, which would have produced double 

 the quantity of manure, a point worthy of consideration as an 

 adjunct. However, ii feeding horses, not exceediug 1 bushel 

 per week to every horse becomes beneficial in the highest de- 

 gree to the health of the animals. In conclusion, I wish to add, 

 that upon a fair calculation, mangold wurtzel is a crop 

 that may be produced more cheaply than swede tur- 

 nips, or any other description of cattle food. Upon 

 our light turnip soils it cannot be introduced with 

 advantage, nor will it ever in such situations be accepted 

 as a substitute for either the swede or common turnip, especially 

 as it cannot be folded off by sheep upon the field where it has 

 been grown ; but for yard feeding of sheep I believe it to be 

 superior to the varieties of turnip. Upon mixed soils and 

 strong clays, too heavy for the cultivation of the turnip, it has 

 opened a new system of cultivation, enabling the occupiers of 

 farms, upon which 30 years ago no cattle food was obtained in 

 the winter, to fodder out their straw and hay with great ad- 

 vantage ; and since the introduction of guano and artificial 

 manures it may be grown almost to any extent without de- 

 priving the farm of the ordinary manure. In the autumn, from 

 the beginning of October, the pulling and storing the crop may 

 be commenced whenever the leaves may be required, pulling 

 the roots no faster than they may be required. So far as my 

 experience goes, I believe they may be estimated at from 30s. 

 to 21. per acre. My mode is to cut them with hay, and the 

 ■hort straw coming from the thrashiBg-machine at that time. 



Large store hogs, with a moderate quantity of peas or beans 

 may be fattened to a certain extent upon the roots, so as not to 

 require much meal in addition afterwards ; but the meat will 

 not be of first rate quality if no meal is used in addition. One 

 word I wish to add upon the cultivation. The land cannot be 

 too frequently stirred, even if weeds are absent ; but in hoe- 

 ing, if the roots are cut with the hoe from inattention, it always 

 injures them, and frequently spoils them altogether. Another 

 very important point is the quality of the roots, and which 

 cannot be obtaiued unless the seed has been well and carefully 

 produced. Cheapness is the order of the day, but in no in- 

 stance does a farmer pay more dearly than when be purchases 

 seeds of indifferent quality ; but in seeds from which our roots 

 are produced, which at most amount to only a few shillings per 

 acre, the crop has varied from 100 to 300 per cent. ; whilst in- 

 variatjly the soil is injured to a far greater extent by the worst 

 variety. Wheat appears to be the beat crop to succeed, if the 

 land can be cleared with little injury. It will require, how- 

 ever, a light dressing of manure at the time of sowing, or a 

 top-dressing in the spring of 40 bushels of soot per acre, if it 

 can be procured, to be applied when the weather is open and 

 moist, early in the spring. The broad leaf, or red clover, suc- 

 ceeds better after it than after any other crop ; and I have 

 known instances of wheat and mangold-wurtzel being grown 

 in rotation for many years together, and probably with as large 

 profitable return as by any other system of husbandry. By 

 way of addendum, I will give the cost of brewing beer from it 

 exactly as carried out by myself, for the instruction of those 

 who are desirous of making the experiment. Although brew- 

 ing from mangold-wurtzel has been referred to in the fore- 

 going description, I may observe that beer made from Silesian 

 beet is far preferable, and more nearly imitates beer manufac- 

 tured from malt, and is not so liable to become flat after the 

 cask becomes partially drawn out, or exposure to the air takes 

 place, to which beer from mangold-wurtzel is liable. Five tons 

 of roots produce from 70 to 80 bushels of dried roots, and are 

 calculated to brew as much beer as 4 quarters of barley-malt. 

 A copper that holds 1^ hogsheads will require about one-third 

 more water to obtain sufficient wort to again fill it. Put 1 

 hogshead at boiling-heat upon the roots, and mash well ; then, 

 as quickly as it can be obtained, add 1 hogshead more boil- 

 iag water, to be again mashed; let it stand one hour ad- 

 ditional, and draw off clear; put on about 1 hogshead of water 

 cold, and in about a quarter of an hour draw off. This hquor 

 should be put in the copper, and boiled for the next mash ; 

 take out the roots, and replace with a like quantity as before 

 for the second brewing ; boil the wort for one hour, then add 

 5 lbs. of good hops, and boil twenty minutes longer ; fer- 

 ment at from 65 to 70 degrees, as with malt-beer ; tun, and 

 keep it eight months before using : it will, however, keep two 

 years, and continue to improve, from 6 to 8 bushels of the 

 roots being sufficient for each hogshead. The roots may, after 

 being used for brewing, be given to cattle or swine, with but 

 little loss in quantity, but certainly of improved quality. One 

 ton of roots produces about 15 bushels of dried roots ; the cost 

 of drying being 5s., and slicing about 23. more ; the whole cost 

 of the beer is lOs. per hogshead. 



Mr. W. Bennett (Cambridge) regarded the subject, 

 however, of how best to grow, to store, and to use mangel 

 wurzel, as of paramount importance, more especially at 

 the present day, when iu many parts of the kingdom Swedish 

 turnips had become almost an utter failure. This root 

 had long become the staple article for the fattening of 

 cattle in almost all parts of the country, but had of late 

 years become subject almost to endless diseases. He could 

 apeak particularly of his native county (Bedfordshire), Herts, 



