Cultivation of Arable Land. Parsnips. Mangle JVurxcl* 209 



fucceeds, from the baking of the land rendering the plants incapable of pufhing 

 their roots fufficiently down. They are feldom injured by frofts or other caufes 

 during the winter feafon, or liable to be deftroycd by any kind of infects. 



The produce of this fort of crop, when cultivated on a proper foil and in 

 a fuitable manner, will, from the great fize of the roots, be probably equal if not 

 greater than that of carrots. 



The application of this root is much the fame as that of the carrot. In the 

 fattening of cattle it is found equal if not fuperior ; performing the buiinefs with 

 as much expedition, and affording meat of exquilite flavour and a highly juicy 

 quality. The animals eat it with much greedinefs. It is reckoned that thirty 

 perches, where the crop is good, will be fufHcient to fatten an ox of three or four 

 years old, when perfectly lean, in the courfe of three months. They are given in 

 the proportion of about thirty pounds weight, morning, noon, and night ; the 

 large ones being flit in three or four pieces, and a little hay fupplied in the 

 intervals of thefe periods. 



When given to milch-cows with a little hay in the winter feafon, the butter 

 is found to be of as fine a colour and as excellent a flavour as when feeding in the 

 beft paftures.* Indeed, the refult of experiment has mown, that not only in neat 

 cattle, but in the fattening of hogs and poultry, the animals become fat much 

 fooner, and are more bulky, than when fed with any other root ,or vegetable. 

 Befidcs, the meat is more fweet and delicate.f 



When chopped and ufed with dry cut meat:, horfc* are alfo faid to eat them 

 freely and thrive well upon them. 



But, befidesthe root, the tops afford much green food for cattle and hogs, either 

 after being cut off when taken up, or when confumed in the field. In the 

 latter method the proper time of turning the animals upon them is when they 

 firft begin to fhrink and grow dry.J 



In order to preferve them for fpring ufe, they may be dug up, in the fame man 

 ner as carrots, in the clofe of the autumn, and be packed up in the fame wayi 



As this root is capable of being grown to advantage on foils that are too heavy 

 for the carrot, and poflefTes equal, if not fuperior, properties for the feeding and 

 fattening of various kinds of animals, it would feem to require more attention 

 than has hitherto been beftowed upon it by cultivators. 



Mangle WurzeL This is another of the tap-rooted kind of plants that ha& 

 been introduced into field culture.^ It is probably a variety of the common 



* Communications to the Board of Agriculture, tol, I. f Ibid, t Ibid. $ Beta major. 



VOL. ir. E e 



