56 MANGOLDS, 
of this root, it will be found that very much more was then customary 
in the way of taking a portion of the leafage for fodder than is now 
done; and taking data at the two ends of special record, before the 
custom fell into disuse, we have roots raised in November, 1816, after 
Six successive strippings of leaves, giving a weight of 20 lb. each and 
upwards; and in 1860, the special experiment at the Model Farm, 
Glasnevin, when of two lots of Mangolds grown precisely similarly in 
every respect, excepting removal of leafage, the plot from which 5 tons 
of leafage per acre had been stripped gave a return of 45 tons 1 ewt. 
per acre, whilst of those from which no leafage had been taken the 
return was 40 tons 8 cwt. 6 qrs. per acre.* 
No doubt, to quote Prof. Wilson when writing on this point, the 
practice is quite opposed to our knowledge of vegetable physiology, but it is 
worth serious consideration that it was not until a few years after the 
custom of some amount of leaf being removed had fallen into disuse 
that trouble began about Mangold-leaf Maggot, this increasing until, 
about 1876, it appeared as a really severe attack, and now as a yearly 
trouble. Also, instead of Mangolds being now a crop remarkable for 
freedom from insect ravage, the list of its infestations would rank with 
those of almost any of our field-crops. 
It would be unreasonable to advocate removal of healthy good 
leafage ; but a middle course between stripping for fodder and letting 
the whole of the old outer leaves remain when they have got to the 
stage of often overshadowing each other, and their own serviceableness 
being lessened by age, injury of different kinds, and decay, appears 
worth consideration. 
The third important point as a remedial agent is any appli- 
cation to push on good growth; and connected with this, as a 
preventive, the thorough cultivation beforehand, which will push on 
growth, and be returned well as to cost if no attack comes; and if it 
does, will give the crop a good chance of growing past it. 
* For details, see quotations in Appendix to my ‘ Sixteenth Report on Injurious 
Insects.’ 
