FARMERS' REGISTER— MANGEL WURTZEL, &c. 



49 



scale, adapted to blades fifty inches in length. — 

 Most of my implements, indeed, are made on this 

 principle, so that the sound parts of one may fit 

 when transferred to another. The reaphook is 

 never used. In wheat which is too much tano'led 

 for the cradle, the naked blade is employed. Each 

 binder is furnished with a small rake having a 

 handle two and a half feet long, with which he 

 hastily gathers as much wheat as he can, to di- 

 minish the quantity leil on the ground. A horse 

 rake follows as speedily as possible, and the loose 

 wheat thus collected, is either put in small cocks, 

 or, which is greatly jjrefcrable, hauled in at once, 

 and housed or stacked. A friend in Berkeley coun- 

 ty informed me that a German had introduced 

 there a better method of gleaning fields than by the 

 help of a horse, the rake being so constructed as 

 to be drawn by a man, with a strap around the 

 body. I have written to ask a more particular 

 description, and will fui'nish you a copy wlien I 

 receive it. 



Never during harvest, open damaged shocks, 

 unless the weather be good, and then not too many 

 at a time. After harvest there should be an imme- 

 diate and general inspection. I have found it con- 

 venient to set the shocks straiglit one way, but in 

 the middle of the cutting the other, to save dis- 

 tance in carrying the sheaves. Tiie sljocks should 

 be of an oval form, nicely balanced to prevent 

 their leaning, Avith a high and sharp apex, well 

 capped. In order to bring them to a proper point, 

 some very small sheaves must be made. 



Piarvest, though a period of intense labor is, 

 nevertheless, in Virginia, a sort of negro festival. 

 It is pleasing to witness the merry faces on such 

 occasions. I tliink the usual allowance of ardent 

 spirit a wholesome corrective of the vast quanti- 

 ty of water rendered necessary by the heat and 

 exercise. But be that as it may, I should be loath 

 to abridge the enjoyment of tlie poor creatures, l^y 

 making them members, by compulsion, of the 

 temperance society. To those who prefer it, an 

 equivalent of molasses may be given. 



I will not close this article without first offering 

 a fervent Avish for your success, and that of the 

 great cause Avith Avhich you have identified your- 

 self. 



May 29, 1833. agricultok. 



Manuel Wiirtsci foi* Cattle. 



By the Editor of the American Farmer. 



Last year Ave made an experiment Avith mangel 

 wurtzel for cattle, and the result Avas highly satis- 

 factory — so much so that Ave shall hereafter adopt 

 it in preference to all other root crops for tlie pur- 

 pose. Having about the sixth of an acre of ground 

 prepared for early corn for Avhich Ave liad not seed 

 enough, we determined to plant it in m.angel Avurt- 

 zel as an experiment, having A'ery little confidence 

 in its equality Avith ruta baga. We accordingly 

 soaked the seed tAventy-four liours in Avarm Avater, 

 laid oft furrows about tv/o feet apart, and dropped 

 the seed six or eight inches apart, covering it as 

 Ave do corn. When the plants Avere up, Ave passed 

 over the field Avith a Aveeding hoe, and subsequent- 

 ly run a small plough through it tAvice, clearing 

 out the Aveeds Avith a hoe. This is all the cultiva- 

 tion it had, and Ave feel certain that all tlie Avork 

 liestoAved upon it, including the original prepara- 

 tion of the ground for com, did not amount to 



Vol. I.— 7 



more than tAvo full days Avork for one man. We 

 put no manure on the ground, though it had 

 been manured the year beibre for potatoes, and for 

 planting in early York cabbages, AvhichAvere kill- 

 ed by the severity of the av inter. The soil Avas 

 a fair medium mold, a mixture of sand, clay and 

 vegetable matter ; high ground, but level. When 

 the mangel Avurtzel Avas gathered, it Avas estimat- 

 ed by every one at seventy-five bushels ; some 

 more, but none less. It was also perfectly evident 

 that Ave might have taken at least one-fourth more, 

 if net double the quantity, from the same ground, 

 had Ave planted more carefully, and laid the roAvs 

 fifteen or eighteen inches apart, instead of tAvo 

 feet. There Avas many places in the rov/s Avherc 

 there Avas not a plant for six or eight feet ; and 

 tiien again many places Avhere they Avcre so 

 crov/ded that the roots could not fairly devclope 

 themselves. 



x\s food for cattle, especially for milch coavs, our 

 experiment Avas as follows : In October, our best 

 milch cow began to fail in her milk, and Ave cut an 

 arm full of the tops of the mangel Avurtzel for her ; 

 this seemed to have a good effect, and it Avas re- 

 peated night and morning for a Aveek, Avhen she 

 fully recovered her usual supply. The leaves 

 Avere then Avithheld, and she immediately failed 

 again in her milk. 'At that time her full quantity 

 Avas about tAvelve quarts a day, and Avhen the man- 

 gel Avurtzel leaves Avere Avithheld, the quantity 

 she gave Avas only about six quarts. She had a 

 good pasture, Avith an excellent stream of Avater in 

 it, and plenty of salt durhig the time; but at tliat 

 season the grass does not afford sufficient nutritive 

 matter. 



After another Aveek Ave began giving her the 

 roots of the mangel Avurtzel, cut small, and occa- 

 sionally sprinkled Avith shorts or corn meal, and a 

 little salt ; one peck of the roots given thus, had 

 tlie same ef!ect on her milk that the tops had ; and 

 Ave suspended these a Aveek, to try their effect the 

 more certainly. The result Avas as above stated, 

 a conviction that mangel Avurtzel is the best and 

 most profitable root Ave can raise for milch coavs. 



After cutting off the leaves, tliey very soon groAv 

 out again, so that they may be cut every fortnight. 

 But Ave think it better to select the largest roots 

 from crowded places, and give them tops and all ; 

 as Ave think the neAV groAvth of leaves is at the ex- 

 pense of the roots. — [American Farmer. 



For th^ Farmers' Register. 



EXPERIMENTS ON THE 



Early Gutlneriiig of C^ria. 



So many advantages attend our general practice 

 of making corn a preparing crop for Avheat, that 

 Ave Avill probably adhere to it on all soils suitable 

 to lioth crops, nctAvithstanding tlie alleged impro- 

 priety of one grain crop folloAving another. Be- 

 sides this succession being opposed to theoretical 

 vieAvs of the rotation of crops, there are also prac- 

 tical objections to all the various modes adopted 

 for clearing the land of the first crop, for the pur- 

 pose of preparing for and soAving the second. — 

 Formerly, the slovenly and yet most troublesome 

 plan of soAving and plouglung in Avheat between 

 tlie roAvs of standing corn, Avas universal — it be- 

 ing believed that corn could not be cut up Avitli 

 safety, early enough to soav Avheat. Now, the 

 stalks are dug up, or cut off at the surface of the 



