2 7 8 



THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



wurzeLB the color of the skin varies with the variety and may 

 be white, pink, red, orange, golden, purple, or black. The form 

 is equally variable, but the commercial varieties are usually 



divided into, five groups: 

 long, half -long, ovoid, 

 tankard, and globe. Typ- 

 ical sugar beets weigh 

 from i to 1.5 pounds, while 

 mangel- wurzels should 

 weigh from 3 to 4 pounds 

 apiece. 



Sugar beets grow al- 

 most entirely below the 

 surface of the soil, while 

 with globe-mangel wurzels 

 frequently two-thirds to 

 three-fourths of the root 

 is above ground. With 

 the long shaped varieties 

 one-half to two-thirds of 

 the root may be below the 

 surface. For the reason 

 just stated, mangel-wur- 

 zels are more easily lifted 

 than sugar beets, yet 

 more weight must be 

 handled because of the lower percentage of dry matter in the 

 case of the former. It is believed that mangel-wurzels grow 

 rather more vigorously than sugar beets and thus get ahead of 

 the weeds more quickly 



The roots of the typical improved sugar beets contain about 

 20 per cent, of dry matter, about four-fifths of which is sugar. 

 Good varieties of mangel-wurzels contain about 12 per cent, of 

 dry matter, about one-half of which is sugar. The feeding 



Kleinwanzlebener sugar beet 



