GROWING ROOTS AND POTATOES 171 



stand why such should be the case. A mangel plant 

 put down at thinning out time, say, the end of May 

 or early June, seldom gets sufficient moisture at that 

 time of the year. Further, it should be remembered 

 that the plant is put down between two other 

 mangels, each of which has already got a hold of 

 the ground, and in consequence, grows ahead, and 

 smothers the transplanted mangel. 



When, however, mangels are transplanted together 

 they all have an equal chance, and, in addition, the 

 transplanting process is done earlier in the year, and 

 always during damp weather. 



The writer has been so pleased with his success in 

 connection with this new method of growing mangels 

 that he now transplants nearly all he grows. By 

 transplanting, the labour of thinning and hoeing later, 

 generally during early hay harvest, is very much 

 reduced. 



It is necessary to give the mangels plenty of room, 

 and on a 28-inch drill they should be left 15 inches 

 apart. Another modification which the writer has 

 adopted in mangel-growing is to sow every alternate 

 drill with the long red and yellow globe varieties. 

 This results in the mangels having more " breathing 

 room." The " Long Reds," or Golden Tankards, 

 grow upright, and the " Yellow Globes " nearer the 

 ground. Experiments in this direction have shown 

 that an increased yield of 5 tons to the acre can be 

 obtained from mixed crops over and above that 

 obtained from similar plots, each sown with one 

 single variety. It should be mentioned, though, that 

 the " Long Red " varieties when transplanted are 

 apt to bolt. 



So much, then, for the planting of the- mangels. 

 There are still, however, the questions of manuring 

 and after-cultivation — the latter an all-important 



