FOOD FROM FIELD ROOTS AND TUBERS 327 



Sugar beets. Compared with other field roots, sugar 

 beets have a high feeding value, but the cost of growing 

 them as grown for the factory, is considerably more than 

 that of growing mangels under similar conditions. It is also 

 more than would furnish an equal tonnage of rutabagas 

 where the conditions are favorable to the growth of the lat- 

 ter. For feeding live stock, therefore, it is usually considered 

 preferable to grow mangels or rutabagas. The labor involved 

 in thinning and harvesting sugar beets is much more than 

 that called for in thinning and harvesting either of the crops 

 named. But there are varieties of sugar beets that have 

 special adaptation for being grown for live stock, owing to 

 their large size. The sugar content of these is higher than 

 that of mangels, hence they are more suitable for certain 

 kinds of feeding. Sugar beets, like mangels, may be grown 

 in some portions of almost every state in the Union, and in 

 many of the provinces of Canada. Owing to the high 

 sugar content of sugar beets, they are more highly relished 

 than other field roots and are also more valuable for fat pro- 

 duction, but they are not more valuable for feeding young 

 animals to promote growth, and are probably less valuable 

 for producing milk. 



As in the case of mangels they are usually fed sliced or 

 pulped, but when fed to swine and especially to brood sows, 

 they are generally fed whole. In practice, the difference in 

 the feeding value of sugar beets and sugar beet pulp is less 

 than chemical analysis would assign to these. 



By cattle, sugar beets are highly relished. From 

 10 pounds downward may be fed daily to calves ac- 

 cording to their age with gratifying results. Young cattle 

 on dry roughage will take larger amounts. Milch cows will 

 make good use of 20 to 30 pounds per day in the absence of 

 corn ensilage, and smaller amounts in conjunction with the 

 same. But, of course, it is not absolutely necessary to feed 

 sugar beets to dairy cows that are being given a liberal al- 

 lowance of corn ensilage. To cattle that are being fattened, 

 large amounts may be fed daily, limited only by the cost and 



