29 



has been on the growth of Mangel Wurtzel. This crop has been 

 recommended by some ' because it ■will grow leaves which may be 

 used as green food for cattle, and also its roots, as a store-food.' 

 But I concluded from experiments carried on years ago, that as long 

 as a mangel leaf was fit for cattle food its functions were required 

 to aid in the development of the root. — In other words, that you could 

 not destroy the leaf (the lungs of the plant) without detriment to 

 the crop. However, after detailing some carefully-conducted experiments 

 performed in 1859, which resulted in shewing a loss of qtjite half the 

 WEIGHT OF EOOT from three strippings of the leaves, I was opposed by an 

 Irishman, who said that he took at the rate of as much as five tons 

 of leaves from an acre of mangels, and that his crop of roots was increased 

 thereby. It also came out in the course of conversation on the matter 

 that Colonel King scote was in the habit of feeding from the green leaves 

 of mangels, and, as was stated, got more root in consequence. Now, I got 

 nine sorts this year for experiment ; these were planted in separate plots, 

 and thinned to twenty-four roots in each plot. Of these, twelve roots in 

 each plot were denuded of their outer leaves twice, on the following dates, 

 September 4th, and September 24th. On November 12th, 1860, both sets 

 in each plot were topped and tailed and weighed with the following results. 



"TABLE OF RESULTS. 



"Now these results upon so many sorts would seem conclusive, and 

 the question then is, how the discrepancies in my experiments when 

 compared with others can be reconciled. I can only account for it by 

 supposing that others experimented upon large patches, and calculated 

 from weighing only a portion ; in which case, to put aside any thought of 

 a bias, either one way or the other, it will be conceived that it must 

 be difficult to make choice of a bit that could be relied upon as a positive 



