404 Cultivation of Mangold-icurtzel or Beet. 



acre in this part of my rotation, without any other dressing than 

 3 cwt. of salt. 



The beet sends down its feeders deep into the marly subsoil. 

 I am now engaged in carrying a drain, 4 feet deep, through part 

 of the field on which it grew this year, in order to drain another 

 part. 1 find the marl, 4 feet from the surface, full of small roots, 

 and I have never seen a full crop where the subsoil was unpro- 

 pitious, as, for instance, on a poor, sandy or gravelly subsoil ; 

 but beet will derive sustenance from many tenacious clays if 

 they ai'e well drained. 



This property of sending its roots to a great depth in the sub- 

 soil has its inconveniences. I have seen many drains 4 and even 

 5 feet deep, choked by the roots. This will only happen where 

 there is a summer run of water, and in these situations I recom- 

 mend the substitution of cabbages or potatoes near the drain — 

 say for 6 feet on each side of it. The greater part of my arable 

 land only requires drains to carry off the excess of rain-water in 

 very wet weather, and was effectually drained, more than thirty 

 years ago, with tiles from 24 to 30 inches deep. On this land I 

 never see any mischief from the roots of the beet, which pene- 

 trate far below the drains into the subsoil. 



On the few acres on which this system of draining has not 

 been effectual, I find that the plants become stunted and the 

 leaves turn prematurely yellow, if a continued rain raises the 

 water-table too near to the surface and drowns the rootlets. Such 

 an appearance is an imperative hint to take up the tile and put 

 it in at a greater depth. 



The best soil for beet being somewhat tenacious, its cultiva- 

 tion requires peculiar care to secure a proper seed-bed. My 

 rotation is as follows : — 1st year, swedes or beet ; 2nd, wheat 

 or oats ; 3rd, clover ; 4th, wheat ; 5th, beet ; 6th, wheat ; 7th, 

 beans ; 8th, wheat. If there is any couch-grass in the land, it 

 will be easily seen after the first mowing of clover. If a man 

 can dig it out of half an acre a-day, let him do it with a strong 

 fork. 



If there is much couch-grass, as soon as possible after the first 

 crop of clover is mown break up the clover brush with a strong 

 grubber, such as the Ducie drag, to the depth of at least 5 inches, 

 and there will be plenty of time to clean it thoroughly before 

 the wheat is sown. 



Keep the wheat well horse-hoed, and in the autumn dig out 

 any couch-grass which may remain. Then skim the ground not 

 more than 2 inches deep, and harrow it in the driest weather. 



It is now ready for the manure, of which I give 21 horse-loads 

 to the acre direct from the fold-yard at the earliest opportunity 

 after wheat-sowing is concluded. 



