251 



Chapter XX, 

 ON MANGEL-WURTZEL. 



The plant which we generally call mangel-wiirtzel, though more properly 

 terineil mangokl-ioilrzel, was brought to us from Germany, and intro- 

 duced into this country as a field-crop, about fifty years ago, by the late 

 Dr. Lettsom, under the title of " the root of scarcity ;" though the garden 

 species was previously well known here by the English name of " beet- 

 root." They are both, however, merely varieties of the same class of tap- 

 roots : the latter being of a bright crimson, and sweeter to the taste than 

 the mangel-wurtzel, which is of various shades of colour, though generally of 

 a yellowish white, sometimes internally streaked faintly with pale red ; and 

 it is remarkable that, although the seed be taken from one plant, yet it 

 will produce roots of dissimilar appearance. It grows also much larger 

 than the garden beet ; and yields crops of such great weight and succu- 

 lence, that its cultivation may be justly viewed as a valuable link in the 

 chain of our soiling system. 



Of this latter kind — which is in this country exclusively grown for cattle 

 — the flesh-coloured is preferred, as afibrding the largest produce ; though 

 the whitish species of a moderate size has been found in the French manu- 

 factories, where sugar is made from it, to contain a greater portion of 

 saccharine matter*. It also comprises two varieties; the one striking 

 its roots deeply into the earth, while the other grows partly above it, A. 

 writer in whose opinion we place great confidence, attributes this difter- 

 ence, however, partly to the nature or preparation of the soil, for he found, 

 on dividing some seed of one species with a neighbour, that his roots 

 struck well into the ground, while a material portion of the length of those 

 grown by his friend appeared upon its surface. His land, however, was 

 ploughed to a depth of ten inches, and that of his friend only superficially f. 



SOIL AND CULTURE. 



Mangel-wurtzel can be grown with advantage upon the generality of 

 those soils which are moderately moist ; but, if too wet, however rich the 

 land may naturally be, although the roots will grow to a great size, they 

 will become watery as well as hollow in the interior, and will soon rot when 

 taken out of the ground. On sands, the roots remain small, unless a con- 

 siderable quantity of rain should fall during its vegetation ; and on chalks, 

 a profitable product is very douljtful. The most appropriate soil is, there- 

 fore, of a deep loamy, or clayey nature — though not too tenacious ; and in 

 land of that description, the plants will arrive at their full size and con- 

 sistence ; the crops Irequently reaching the weight of full fifty tons, and in 

 some instances even more, per acre. The upper soil should, however, 

 be of considerable depth — the deeper indeed the better — and if at all shal- 

 low, the seed should be sown upon raised ridges. 



* The produce of 19 tons of beet-root is stated by M. Crespfl Dellisse, of Arras, who 

 has a large manufactory of sugar in that neighbourhood, as leaving 



Of unrefined muscovado sugar . . 110 lbs. 



„ molasses , . . ^8 „ 



besides about 6 ewt. of compressed pulp, which is used for the feeding of cattle. 



In other accounts, " the quantity of the finest white refined sugar is calculated 

 at '2 lbs. 12 oz. IG dwts. from 100 lbs. weight of roots: and the whole quantity 

 annually made was estimated according to a report presented in 1828 to a Committee 

 appointed to inquire into the manufactures and commerce of France, as amounting to 

 nearly 5000 tons of muscovado sugar." — Enqueic stir Ics Sucres. 



t Vou Thiier, Princ, Rais. d'Agric, 2iade edit, tome i., p. 35. 



