352 



FARMERS' REGISTER— MANGEL WURTZEL. 



ed, Ihe flies proceed to search for the fields of 

 wheat, i\5 the phice for depositing their eggs ; and 

 unless the field be small, or the flics exceedingly 

 numerous, they confine their operations, in a mea- 

 sure, to the borders of the field.* I am satisfied 

 that the eggs of this insect are not deposited on the 

 grains of wheat, otherwise, the manner of prepar- 

 ing my seed for sowing must have destroyed them. 

 I have, to prevent the ravages of the Hessian Fly, 

 for the'last thirteen years, prepared my seed wheat, 

 by washing it thoroughly, and while in a wet state, 

 pouring over it boiling hot ley, of wood ashes, suffi- 

 cient to cover it, (no matter how strong the ley is) 

 and drawing it off immediately. The ley will co- 

 lor the wheat, but will not injure the germ, or pre- 

 vent it from growing. By this process, the eggs 

 of the Hessian Fly are destroyed, which are at- 

 tached to the wheat: and by long experience, I 

 am satisfied it affords a complete remedy against 

 the ravages of that insect. I have often sowed 

 wheat prepared in this way in the same field, by 

 the side of the same kind of wheat, Avithout any 

 preparation. The former has uniformly escaped 

 the ravages ofthat insect, while the latter has been 

 materially injured, and in some cases entirely de- 

 stroyed. I therefore consider the Hessian Fly a 

 much less formidable invader of the wheat crop, 

 than I have formerly ; but I have yet found no re- 

 medy against the ravages^of the insect in question. 

 It has been said, that the sowing of new slaked 

 lime over the wheat, when the dew is on, during 

 the time the fly is depositing its eggs, will put a 

 stop to its operations. But how this may be, I 

 cannot say, not having tried it myself 



N. B. In preparing the wheat for sowing, as 

 mentioned above, my practice is, to prepare but 

 one bushel at a time, lest, by remaining too long 

 in the ley, the germ should be destroyed. As soon 

 as the ley is drawn off, I mix with the wheat as 

 much plaster, lime or ashes, as, when stirred well 

 into it, will prevent the grains of wheat from ad- 

 hering together, and sow it immediately.! 



DAVID IIURD. 



MANGEL AVURTZEL. 



From Gootlsell's Genesee Farmer. 



This is the German appellation for the Field Beet, 

 more commonly written Mangold Wurtzel or 

 JVlangel Wurtzel, and sometimes, though errone- 

 ous! v, called scarcity beet. It is believed to be a 

 mongrel between the red and white beet, has a 

 much larger root than either, and grows principally 

 above ground. 



Uses. — This succulent food is admirably adapted 

 to the feeding of cattle, sheep, swine, &c. Neat 

 cattle prefer mangel wurtzel to any other root that 

 can be offered them ; and its effects in producing 

 large secretions of rich milk of fine flavor, are 

 abundantly attested by American writers. Not 

 only is the milk increased, but the quantity and 

 quality of the cream, and consequently the product 



* An intelligent fcirmer in this town informeil us, that 

 his field of wheat, of six or seven acres in extent, was 

 attacked by this insect on one of its borders only, and 

 that, next to a piece of ground where wheat grew the 

 last year, and which had been ravaged by the same in- 

 sect. — [Ed. J^or. Far. 



■f This mode of preparing the seed has also been 

 found to be an efiectual remedy against smut. — [Editor 

 AVr. Farm. 



of butter. But milch cows, fed on mangel wurt- 

 zel, ought to have occasional changes of other food, 

 as they are apt to become too fati(:)r good milking. 

 In the latter part of the season, many farmers are 

 in the habit of pulling off the leaves, for feeding 

 cows, sheep, &c. We would caution such against 

 this practice, until after the middle of October. It 

 is a generally acknowledged fact, in vegetable phy- 

 siology, that the leaves are the principal agents in 

 tlie elaboration of the farina of vegetables, and 

 whatever diminishes the power of developing the 

 nutritive properties of this or any other plant, di- 

 minishes in the same ratio, its value in domestic 

 economy. 



Mangel wurtzel answers remarkably well for 

 sheep during the lambing season, which usually 

 happens when grass is not to be obtained; keeping 

 them in a thriving condition, and affording a free 

 flow of milk. Stall sheep fatten well on this alone, 

 though it is better to allow them some hay, say at 

 the rate of twenty-five pounds of mangel wurtzel 

 and five pounds of good hay per day to each sheep. 

 In five or six weeks they will be ready for market ; 

 the probable gain will be from four to five pounds 

 per week, in good sheep. 



Swine fattened on this root, yield firm pork, of 

 fine flavor — it is fed raw, and much superior to 

 corn or potatoes, in point of economy. 



Soil. — A clayey loam is the best, but any soil 

 will suit, provided it is well pulverized and rich. 

 Large crops have been raised on strong clay, but 

 as this is apt to bake, it prevents the expansion of 

 the roots — and should not, therefore, be chosen, 

 when a soil which is not liable to this inconveni- 

 ence can be obtained. As a general rule, good corn 

 ground will grow mangel wurtzel. 



3Iode of Culture. — ■ Whatever be the soil, give 

 it a good broad-cast manuring in the fall, if prac- 

 ticable, and plough it in. In the spring, harrow it 

 well, and throw it up in ridges three feet apart. — 

 By this manuring, more nutritive matter is afford- 

 ed to the lateral fibres, which this root sends out 

 in pursuit of food. On these ridges, draw a light 

 furrow or drill, about two inches deej), and sow the 

 seed from one to two inches apart in the drill. — 

 Sow plenty of seed — the young plants are easily 

 thinned out in hoeing; but if deficient, are not so 

 easily replenished, and the expense of a few more 

 seeds is nothing, compared to the insurance of a 

 good crop. From three to four pounds is consi- 

 dered by Mr. Garbutt as the proper quantity for 

 an acre. The after culture is easy, and consists 

 principally in weeding, which may be performed 

 with the hoe and plough, when necessary. The 

 plants, when well started, must be thinned out to 

 ten or twelve inches — this part of the business is 

 most expeditiously performed with the hoe, when 

 weeding, and wherever the crop fails in part, from 

 any cause, the intervals may be advantageously 

 filled up with Ruta Baga, which is in season for 

 sowing, as late as the 25lh of July. 



Some prefer making trenches three feet distant, 

 in the spring, by passing the plough up and down 

 in the same furrow, filling the manure in this 

 trench, and covering it by passing the plough up 

 and down the outsides, thus making a ridge with 

 the manure under it, and sowing on tlie ridges, as 

 above. Experience proves this method objection- 

 able. If the season is dry, this trench of compact 

 manure renders the ground above it, still drier ; — 

 1 and, as the manure lies in a body, though the tap 



