AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



Roots. Tops. 



Mangold WurtzcLs, - - 5.29 - - 12.82 per cent. 



Carrots, - 1.40 . 11.25 &quot; 



Turnips, . - 1.49 . . 6.15 



521. The average quantity of nutritious matter afforded by 

 a crop of Mangolds of 20 tons, or 45,000 Ibs. per acre, consists 

 of 900 Ibs. of busk or woody fibre ; 4,950 Ibs. of starch, sugar, &amp;lt;fec ; 

 900 Ibs. of gluten, &c; and 450 Ibs. of saline matter, or ash. 

 No oil or fatty matter has yet been detected in an appreciable 

 quantity. (Johnston.) 



522. This crop prospers on much heavier soils than either 

 turnips or carrots ; but a light clay soil, containing a fair pro 

 portion of humus, and rendered rich by manures, is the best. 

 Moisture, especially in the beginning of the season, is very ne 

 cessary, in order to develop its full size and good qualities. An 

 excess of moisture is very rapidly absorbed by beet roots. 



523. In France, it is a common practice to sow the seed in a 

 feeed-bed, and afterwards transplant. In England, the soil is 

 plowed twice in the fall, laid up dry in the winter, manured 

 and plowed again in the spring. With us one plowing is 

 generally considered all that is required. Depth and friability 

 are necessary in order to procure large crops, and the sub-soil 

 plow may be used to great advantage. The land must be thor 

 oughly harrowed, and the seed drilled at the rate of 3 or 4 Ibs. 

 per acre, not more than one inch in depth, and from 12-14 to 

 24 inches apart. Sowing may take place as early as frosts will 

 permit. The seed should be steeped from 12 to 24 hours 

 in water, to cause rapid germination ; though if the soil and 

 season are very dry, this may prove injurious. The subsequent 

 cultivation consists of hoeing, and usinjr the cultivator, keeping 

 the earth fresh and perfectly clean. When well up, the plants 

 must be thinned. Many leave the plants too close to each oth 

 er, which interferes with growth, hoeing, and cleaning. If plant 

 ed 2 feet apart, there will be a produce on the acre of 10,890 



