390 FIELD CROPS 



626. The Mangel and the Sugar Beet. The mangel 

 differs from the sugar beet in many characters. The root 

 of the sugar beet is fairly uniform in shape, being largest 

 near the crown and tapering gradually to a long taproot, 

 while that of the mangel is of various shapes in the many 

 varieties. The flesh of the sugar beet is white, while that of 

 the mangel is usually reddish or yellow. The skin of the 

 sugar beet is also white; the mangel may be red, white, gold- 

 en, purplish, or even black. The sugar beet grows almost 

 entirely below the surface of the ground, while in many 

 varieties of mangel half or more of the root is above the sur- 

 face, making it much easier to harvest. Well-grown sugar 

 beets weigh from 1 to 1}^^ pounds; mangels should weigh 

 from 4 to 6 pounds. The sugar beet contains about 20 per 

 cent of solids, of which about four fifths is sugar; the mangel 

 contains only about 12 per cent of solids and not more than 

 6 per cent of sugar. 



526. The Soil and Its Preparation. The best soil for 

 beets is a rich loam or sandy loam. The roots do not develop 

 well in clay soils and are more difficult to harvest, while veiy 

 sandy soils do not retain sufficient moisture. Conditions 

 are usually more favorable in the Northern states than else- 

 where for the growth of mangels. Good preparation is 

 essential to the profitable growth of the crop. The seeds are 

 somewhat slow to germinate and the plants grow slowly at 

 first, so that eveiy precaution should be taken to keep down 

 weeds. Thej^ can best be prevented by planning a rotation 

 which contains crops which aid in the control of these pests. 

 One which has been successfully used in some sections con- 

 sists of (1) corn, (2) barley, and (3) mangels or some other 

 root crop. The land is manured for the com. This crop 

 may be fed off by hogs, if desired, as it will then be practically 

 returned to the land. The cultivation of the corn crop and 

 the rapid growth and early maturity of the barley all aid in 

 subduing A\eeds. After the barley is harvested, the land is 



