218 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES. 



Though this food is very nutritious, it is better fitted for 

 fattening purposes than for maintaining the milk-flow, and 

 for this reason it should be supplemented by succulent 

 food. By later planting of beets good supplies can be pro- 

 vided for the deficiency of pasture growth early in the 

 winter, which occurs when the winter happens to be colder 

 or drier than usual. Thus, by planting from February 

 until June, or even later on moist bottom or irrigated land, 

 the stock feeder can have beets for his animals the year 

 round. 



Preparation of the land is the same for stock beets as for 

 sugar beets. The plants must have wider spacing, both 

 for the rows and for individual plants, according to the 

 size of the variety grown. The long red mangel-wurzel, 

 which frequently reaches a weight of seventy pounds, and 

 should average half that or more, needs room. Three feet 

 between the rows and two feet between the plants in the 

 row is as little space as should be given. 



Growers of stock beets often sprout the seed before 

 planting, and sow by hand, from five to eight pounds per 

 acre, in a shallow furrow, following a line set by a 

 " marker," and cover with a cultivator or harrow, finally 

 smoothing with a plank clod-crusher or "rubber." , 



Summer cultivation determines the character of the crop 

 as it does with sugar beets, and the best cultivators secure 

 almost incredible weights of beets from rich, moist soils. 

 The crop often reaches twice that of sugar beets, and 

 thorgh the stock beets are inferior in nutritive contents, 

 the greater crop and the greater ease with which large 

 beets, growing a good part of their bulk above ground, 

 are gathered and handled are held to compensate for their 

 less nutritive substance. 



Varieties. Of the many cattle beets of Europe three 

 have gained wide popularity in California : the Long Red 

 Mangel, the Yellow Globe Mangel, and the Golden 

 Tankard. , 



Long Red Mangel. This variety is the largest and pro- 

 duces the heaviest crops, and is the best generally pre- 



