244 SUGAR BEETS AND OTHER ROOT CROPS 



is slow and tedious and greatly increases the cost of production 

 of this crop. 



After the thinning is completed, cultivation should follow im- 

 mediately. Perhaps one cultivation will be necessary before this. 

 Rather deep tillage is practiced at* first, but it should be done with 

 fine-tooth cultivators and not with large shovels, as it is not ad- 

 visable to throw much of the soil toward the rows at this time, if 

 at all. The cultivation should be frequent and should be con- 

 tinued until the tops completely fill the space between the rows, 

 In moderately clean soil, no hand weeding or hoeing should be 

 necessary at the time of thinning. 



Harvest and Yields. Harvesting may be done by plowing the 

 roots up with a common turning plow and then they are picked 

 up by hand and thrown into piles. This shakes off most of the 

 soil. A row of piles for every ten to twelve rows of mangels is 

 usual. They may lie in the field until danger of severe freezing 

 requires that they be covered. Early fall frosts do not even injure 

 the growing crop, and it will continue growing until the ground 

 begins to freeze in the colder climates. 



The yield should be from twenty to thirty tons of fresh beets, 

 not including the tops. The best mangels will produce from 5,000 

 to 10,000 pounds of dry matter per. acre after deducting the large 

 percentage of water. 



Storing Mangel-Wurzels. If the roots are allowed to freeze 

 they must be kept frozen until about time for using them. It is 

 better not to allow the roots to freeze at all. They should be 

 covered with coarse corn stalks, sorghum fodder, or other coarse 

 material. A layer of this over a pile of the roots will be sufficient 

 until severe winter weather. By that time the roots are well enough 

 cured so that they may be covered with soil which is thrown on 

 top of the litter. From such piles, the roots may be removed for 

 feeding at almost any time during the winter, except in the most 

 severe climates. It is better to have the roots in a cellar or root 

 pit where they may be more easily obtained during the long periods 

 of freezing. There is less danger of freezing the whole stock if 

 the roots are in a room or pit that can be opened and closed 

 conveniently. 



Feeding. Mangel-wurzels are used almost entirely for stock 

 feed. They are specially valued for their succulence and are par- 

 ticularly good for milk cattle, sheep and hogs. Before being fed, 

 they should be chopped fine or run through a root-slicing machine. 



