156 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



or English turneps, 42; Swede, 64; mangold wurzel, 136 ; 

 sugar beet, 146. This order of nutrititive quality is followed 

 by Boussingault, though he places the field beet and Swede 

 turnep at nearly the same point. Einhof and Thaer on the 

 contrary place the Swede before mangold wurzel. But in 

 feeding to animals, unless for an occasional change, the 

 roots should he given out in the order named. The sugar 

 heet is seen to be more nutritious than the mangold wurzel, 

 it is equally hardy and productive and more palatable to 

 stock, and of course is to be preferred for raising. The for- 

 mer has been largely cultivated in France and Germany, 

 for making into sugar, where it has been entirely successful, 

 because protected by an adequate impost on the imported 

 article. Their conversion into sugar has repeatedly been 

 attempted in this country, but it cannot probably sustain a 

 successful competition with the cane. From the experi- 

 ments of M. Darracq, it has been found, that in summer the 

 best yielded from 3 to 4 per cent, of sugar, but in October 

 after the commencement of frost, it gave only syrup and 

 saltpetre, and no crystalizable sugar. When used for this 

 purpose, the resr^uum of the pulp after expressing the juice 

 is given to cattle. When wilted, the leaves are also fed to 

 them, but caution is necessary to prevent their scouring. 

 What are not thus used are plowed in for manure. The 

 beet is also distilled and yields about half the product of 

 potatoes. 



THE JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (Helianthus tubcrosus,) 



A native of Brazil, is a hardy plant, but little cultivated. 

 Loudon says the name Jerusalem is a corruption of the Ital- 

 ian word girasole, (or sun-flower,) the blossom of which it 

 closely resembles except in size. It flourishes in a moist, 

 loose soil or sandy loam, with little care except to thin out 

 and prevent weeds. It is very productive and easily culti- 

 vated in drills, three or four feet apart. The planting may 

 be done in Marcli or April. As it is not injured by frost 

 and is very prolific, it will spread rapidly and often becomes 

 a pest in the garden. The product is enormous, some- 

 times overrunning, it is said, 2,000 bushels per acre. Its 

 nutritive qualities are much less than those of the potato, 

 but its great productiveness and the facility of raising it, 

 would seem to commend it to more general favor. Bous- 

 singault considers it an improving and profitable crop from 



