152 MANGEL WURZEL. 



time of transplanting, the distances, and the cultiva- 

 tion, all being the same ; and the only difference being 

 in the application of the leaves, and in the time of 

 harvesting" the roots. 



255. The leaves of the MANGEL WURZEL are of 

 great value, especially in dry summers. You begin, 

 about the third week in August, to take off by a down- 

 ward pull, the leaves of the plants ; and they are ex- 

 cellent food for pigs and cows; only observe this, that, 

 if given to cows, there must be, for each cow, six 

 pounds of hay a day, which is not necessary in the 

 case of the Swedish turnips. These leaves last till 

 the crop is taken up, which ought to be in the first week 

 of November. The taking off of the leaves does good 

 to the plants : new leaves succeed higher up ; and the 

 plant becomes longer than it otherwise would be, and, 

 of course, heavier. But, in taking off the leaves, you. 

 must not approach too near to the top. 



256. When you take the plants up in November, you 

 must cut off the crowns and the remaining leaves ; and 

 they, again, are for cows and pigs. Then you put 

 the roots into some place to keep them from the frost ; 

 and, if you have no place under cover, put them in 

 pies, in the same manner as directed for the Swedish 

 turnips. The roots will average in weight 10 Ibs, each. 

 They may be given to cows whole, or to pigs either, 

 and they are better than the Swedish turnip for both 

 animals ; and they do not give any bad or strong taste 

 to the milk and butter. But, besides this use of the 

 mangel wurzel, there is another, with regard to pigs 

 at least, of very great importance. The juice of this 

 plant has so much of sweetness in it, that, in France, 

 they make sugar of it ; and have used the sugar, and 

 found it equal in goodness to West India sugar. 

 Many persons in England make beer of this juice, and 

 I have drunk of this beer, and found it very good. 

 In short, the juice is most excellent for the mixing 

 of moist food for pigs. I am now (20th Nov. 1831) 

 boiling it for this purpose. My copper holds seven 

 strike-bushels ; I put in three bushels of mangel wurzel 

 cut into pieces two inches thick, and then fill the 



