516 



THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



MANGOLDS AND SUGAR BEETS.* 



Botanically speaking, the mangold and the sugar heet are identical. The 

 present distinction between them has been brought about by years of 

 selection — in the one case to evolve a root giving a high yield of succulent 

 and palatable food with a maximum content of dry matter; and in the other 

 case to obtain a root containing the maximum amount of sugar, care being 

 taken that efforts to obtain high yields did not mean a sacrifice of suj 

 content. In this connection it has been established that the development • : 

 beets beyond 2 lb. to 3 lb. in weight is invariably accompanied by a deer, 

 in the percentage of sugar. The following table shows the comparative 

 compositions of samples of mangolds and beets grown under the same 

 conditions: — 



Mangolds . 

 Sugar Beet. 



Ash. Protein. Carbohydrates. 



Nutrith e ratio 



percent, percent. 

 9011 11 



86 -o 



9 



percent, percent. percent.! 



1-4 (>4 0-2 1 : . r > 



1-8 



107+ 



01 



1 : 8 



t This sugar content is rather below what is usual. 



Efforts have been made in the past to establish the beet sugar industry in 

 Australia, but there are many difficulties to be overcome, and Maffra, Vic- 

 toria, is the only locality where a factory is in operation. This factory has 

 had many vicissitudes, but is now working with a fair degree of success. 



Principally owing to our extensive systems of animal husbandry, as 

 compared with those of more intensely populated countries, the cultivation 

 of root crops is by no means widespread in -this State. The mangold ana 

 sugar beet provide a very useful addition to a ration for pigs, dairy cattle. 

 or stud sheep by reason of their ready digestibility and palatability, and as 

 agriculture becomes more combined with dairying and stock-raising in this 

 State, there is no doubt that they will gradually play a more important 

 part in our crop rotations. The average yield of mangolds in New South 

 Wales, under good soil conditions, is about 25 tons per acre, while that of 

 sugar beets at Maffra, in Victoria, is 12 tons, and about that yield should 

 be secured in suitable districts in this State. 



The methods of cultivation of the two crops are essentially the same, and 

 in this article they are treated together, any necessary modifications being 

 indicated. 



Soil and Climate. 



Mangolds and beets do best in deep, w elf-drained loams, or clay loams. 

 Poor sandy soils or shallow clay soils will not suit them, in spite even oi 

 water supply and other conditions being favourable. The costs of production 

 are high, and to meet these a good crop must be secured. Soils which grow 

 good maize and potatoes as a rule grow good crops of mangolds and beets. 



Although fairly drought and frost resistant, these crops do best in a mild 

 climate with a good rainfall, such as that of the coast and tablelands. Beets 

 do not require such a heavy rainfall as mangolds, and in some recent trials 



*A. H. E. McDonald, Chief Inspector of Agriculture, and R. G. Downing, Senior 



Experimentalist. 



