ROOT CROPS. 247 



tlias SGCtiring it in a succulent state for winter use, 

 removes a chief objection to it and makes it more 

 nearly supply the place of roots. On many American 

 farms corn takes the place iu the rotation of crops 

 occupied by roots in Great Britain. 



The severity of American winters in the Northern 

 States prevents the practice of out-door feeding roots 

 and makes their preservation more difficult. The large 

 percentage of water in the roots almost makes them 

 less desirable as food iu very cold weather. More 

 than 100 pounds of turnips are sometimes given 

 daily to a fatting ox in Great Britain. 



BEETS. 



The beet {Beta vulgaris, In.) has long been grown 

 for human food. For more than two hundred years 

 it has been grown in England as food for farm ani- 

 mals. There are very many varieties, differing much 

 in form, size and percentage of sugar contained in the 

 juice. In general the larger growing varieties are 

 coarser textured, have a larger percentage of water, 

 and much less sugar than the small varieties grown 

 for human food or the manufacture of sugar. 



Some of the larger varieties of what are called sugar 

 beets are extensively grown for stock feeding and 

 sometimes reach a great size, but the mangel-wurzel, 

 sometimes written mangold- wurzel, is more commonly 

 preferred. This is believed \)y many to be simply a 

 modification by culture of the common beet. 



There are a number of varieties of the sugar beet 

 for stock and very man^; of the mangel-wurzel. The 

 most striking difference, aside from color, is in shape. 

 Some are long, others oval. Those of the latter shape 

 are generally of better (quality, but the long varieties 



