110 



HOW TO FEED POULTRY FOR ANY PURPOSE WITH PROFIT 



sowing and as necessary afterward to keep the soil loose 

 and the weeds down, mangels appreciate liberal applica- 

 tion of manure. How freely poultry manure may be 

 used for them depends upon the soil and whether it con- 

 tains enough moisture to make such strong manure avai : - 

 able for the plants without burning them in the early 

 stages of growth. Generally it is not wise to use hen 

 manure heavily for mangels on land that will not dry out 

 quickly in case of a spring drought. On such lands it is 

 better to use ordinary barnyard manure. Where, however, 

 there is moisture enough to insure that the plants will 

 not burn, hen manure can be used very liberally, especi- 

 ally if applied before ploughing and thoroughly worked 

 in by harrowing. 



Where the growing crop is to be cultivated by man 

 power mangels should be sown in rows two feet apart, 

 and when up well should be thinned to about 10 or 12 



A FIELD OF MANGET^WURZELS GROWING FOR WINTER GREEN FEED 



inches apart in the rows. If young beets can be used 

 either for poultry or other stock it may be a good plan 

 to thin to 5 or 6 inches apart the first time, then before 

 the beets at this distance are crowding so that growth is 

 reduced take out the intermediate ones. Many growers 

 prefer to make one job of the thinning, considering the 

 value of the small beets for use in summer not great 

 enough to offset the check to those left through the sea- 

 son, if through press of other work they should fail to 

 make the second thinning at the right time. 



Where cultivation is with horse implements the rows 

 of beets should be three to four feet apart, and the plants 

 thinned to 12 to. 15 inches apart in the row. Where the 

 land is strong and capable of producing very large beets 

 it will be found an advantage to give the plants plenty of 

 room. Generally mangels do best with level cultivation, 

 but on land that is a little wet early in the season it is 

 sometimes a good plan to ridge the land slightly before 

 planting, and sow the rows of beets on the ridges. This 

 gives a little better conditions for the plants at the start 

 and the ridges work down when the cultivator is run 

 through them. 



Growing Cabbage 



While it is principally late cabbage, for winter use, 

 that is grown for poultry, a supply of early and second- 

 early cabbage to be taken from the ground as needed, 

 often comes in handy for extra green feed in summer. 

 In gardens worked with hand and small wheel hoes it is 



often practical to grow a considerable number of heads 

 of early cabbage between the rows of crops of various 

 kinds that do not at this season require the room they 

 will need later. In such places cabbage plants may be 

 set at the necessary distances to allow them to head prop- 

 erly 18 to 20 inches is right for most of the early varie- 

 ties or cabbage seed may be sown in a solid row, as 

 when starting plants for transplanting, and the plants 

 allowed to grow this way until they are wanted for feed. 

 Those who follow this practice say that a small strip of 

 land will provide more green feed from cabbage grown 

 this way than from rape, chard or lettuce. 



In the northern states plants for early cabbage must 

 be started in hotbeds in February or March, transplanted 

 to coldframes when they are two or three inches high,, 

 and grown in these until they can be set in the open 

 ground in the spring. As a rule, it does not pay one who 

 grows only small quantities of cab- 

 bage to try to start his own early 

 plants. The trouble is only war- 

 ranted when other plants are to be 

 started under the same conditions. 

 The young plants require close and 

 careful attention, and if they do not 

 get it will make poor growth later. 

 In general, therefore, it proves 

 more satisfactory to buy good 

 thrifty plants in such numbers as. 

 are required. In the South early 

 cabbage may be started in the open 

 as late cabbage is in the North. 



In growing early cabbage for 

 poultry feed it is generally advisable 

 to give plants a little more room 

 than is allowed by market gardeners 

 who force them to get the crop on 

 the market as early as possible and 

 all at the same time. The plants 

 will take longer to head, but they 



will hold their large outer leaves better and, as they grow- 

 larger, make considerably more feed. The rows should be 

 from 24 to 30 inches apart and the plants 18 inches apart 

 in the tow. 



In the growing of cabbage for winter storage and use 

 it is desirable to have the plants complete their full growth 

 just as hard freezing sets in. If they reach full size too 

 early in the fall many of the heads split, preparatory to- 

 starting a seed stalk. Though they are still useful as, 

 poultry feed, a larger proportion of the stalk becomes 

 woody and inedible, thus increasing the waste, whiciv 

 when the cabbage is harvested at just the right stage 

 is limited to the stump below the head. According to 

 locality and the estimated rate of growth, main crop 

 cabbages are set out from about the middle of June until 

 the first of August. 



The prime points in growing a good crop of cabbage 

 are, good plants, heavy manuring, thorough cultivation 

 of the land as long as tools can be used among the plants- 

 without too much breaking of the outer leaves, and a 

 fairly liberal amount of moisture throughout the period 

 of growth. The grower who buys his plants should take 

 none but strong, thrifty looking plants, that have plainly 

 not been stunted in the seedbed by crowding or for lack 

 of moisture, or allowed to wilt while in the market. 

 Those who grow their plants should select for the purpose 

 a rich, quite moist plot upon which no cabbage has recent- 

 ly been grown, or manure used containing cabbage refuse. 



