FARiMERS' REGISTER— MANGEL WtJRTZEL. 



553 



root may reach it, yet the lateral fibres will receive 

 no benefit from it whatever. But, by being tho- 

 roughly incorporated with the earth, by the tall 

 ploughing and spring harrowing and ridging, the 

 whole crop receives the full benefit of whatever 

 nutrition it may contain. Others, again, contend 

 that the ground ought to be made perfectly level 

 and smooth before the seed is sown, as a safeguard 

 against dry weather ; but so far aS my knowledge 

 extends, crops, treated in this way, have not been 

 so abundant as parallel crops on ridges, and they 

 certainly require more than double the attendance. 

 For, in hoeing, many of the young- plants will be 

 covered, and the operator must stop and carefully 

 brush away the eartli with his fingers. But, plant- 

 ed in ridges, all the earth and weeds loosened by 

 the hoe, fall away from the plants into the furrows. 

 These various methods of culture, with slight va- 

 riations, have their advocates; but I believe the 

 course recommended in the forepart of this para- 

 graph, will be found the most economical and pro- 

 fitable. 



Time of Sowing. — The proper time for sowing 

 mangel wurtzel, is the last Aveek in April, or first 

 in 3iay. Though it is commonly sown later, ex- 

 perience proves that early sowing insures a better 

 yield; the vegetation is less precarious, and the 

 roots are larger and more fully matured. Yet the 

 time may be varied a little, either way, regard be- 

 ing had to the forwardness or lateness of the sea- 

 son. The seed does not sprout well if sown in a 

 dry time; the husk being hard and firm, requires 

 considerable moisture to cause the seed to start ; — 

 but in long continued and heavy rains, it frequent- 

 ly rots in the ground. The seed requires ao pre- 

 vious preparation. 



Product. — The quantity produced on an qcre 

 varies from twenty-five to fifty tons. A fair aver- 

 age crop may, with safety, be set down at thirty- 

 five tons, and the expense of culture at from twen- 

 ty-five to thirty dollars, including manure, plough- 

 ing, weeding, gathering, seed, &c. In England, 

 it is said, that upwards of sixty tons have been 

 raised on an acre. 



Comparative Qualities. — Various comparative 

 experiments have been instituted by American far- 

 mers, which iiave almost universally resulted in 

 favor of mangel wurtzel, both for keei)ing and fat- 

 tening stock, over ruta baga, carrots, and all other 

 succulent food. It is not liable to the attack of in- 

 sects; whereas, turnijjs, cabbages and otlier vege- 

 tables, are frequently entirely cut otf; neither does 

 it suffer much from tlie variety of seasons. It 

 thrives in almost any soil, and will keep sound and 

 firm eight or ten months. The flavor of milk and 

 butter of cows fed on this plant is improved ; but 

 it is impaired when turnips are given. As a tiir- 

 ther proof of its nutritive effects, we would observe 

 that Bonaparte passed a law that the whole farm- 

 ing community of Flanders should set apart a por- 

 tion of their faniis, for the cultivation of mangel 

 wurtzel, to be employed in making sugar. The 

 experiment proved, that good sugar could be pro- 

 duced, at one shilling per pound, when, at the same 

 time. West India sugar was selling at five shillings 

 in France.* 



* That the compulsion of law should be required to 

 aid the enormous encouragement created by Bonaparte's 

 prohibitions, or continental system^ which raised the 



Vol. 1—45 



For fattening swine, five bushels is believed to 

 equal one of corn. Compared with hay, theTe are 

 various estimates, varying from two to three tons, 

 to one of hay. But whenever mangel wurtzel is 

 given to stock of any kind, they ought to have an 

 allowance of their accustomed food, either with it, 

 or during the intervals of feedings 



Objections. — ^There are some authorities who 

 speak unfavorably of tlie use of mangel wurtzel, as 

 food for milch cows. Henry Colman, of Salem, 

 says that his cows, when fed from half a busliel to 

 a bushel per day, were much reduced in flesh, 

 though the quantity of milk was increased, and its 

 quality improved. It is asserted in the British Far- 

 mers' Magazine, that the roots ought not to be used 

 before Christmas, and the cattle ought to be habi- 

 tuated to them by degrees — that it purges cattle 

 and reduces them to a very thin state. Mr. Cook's 

 cows were materially injured by the free use of 

 mangel wurtzel, and some of them died. In the 

 same Journal, the Rev. Henry Berry remarks, that 

 he fed mangel wurtzel liberally io his ccfw9> but 

 he soon found them reduced to skeletons — the 

 quantity of milk was increased, but it was both 

 thin and poor. The bad effects charged to this 

 root are principally of foreign origin. In western 

 New- York, we have not heard any bad effects at- 

 tributed to its use ; and we make these quotations 

 to put growers on the alert, that they may canvass 

 the effects of this justly esteemed and invaluable 

 food. If it is liable to these objections, let us look 

 round for the preventive means. 



The mode of preserving is precisely the same as 

 for potatoes. They must always be put away dry 

 — this is essential to their preservation. The co- 

 vering ought to be sufficient to keep out the frost, 

 but not very warm, as they are finest in the spring 

 w hen kept rather cool. To contain those to be fed 

 in the winter, a double pen or bin might be made 

 in the barn-yard, or any convenient place, of boards 

 or rails and post, the one within the other, and the 

 interval filled with long manure. The roots put 

 into this will keep well, if it is properly construct- 

 ed and thatched with straw, and be of easy access 

 through a convenient opennig. It will be recol- 

 lected that tiie leaves are to be pulled off immedi- 

 ately after the roots are taken out of the ground. — 

 They may be fed to cattle or sheep, and will be 

 found quite an adjunct to the pasture fields. 



The fbllowing extract of a letter, from Williarrt 

 Garbutt, Esq. President of the Monroe County 

 Agricultural Society, to the Editor, will, we trust, 

 be read with satisfaction. Mr. Garbutt is a prac- 

 tical farmer, and has liad more experience in the 

 cultivation of mangel wurtzel, than any other far- 

 mer in this neighborhood, which renders his obser- 

 vations more interesting. 



price of West India sugar to five shillings the pound, is 

 but a bad proof of the profit of making beet sugar. A 

 better proof, however, may be adduced, from the fact, 

 that the extension of this branch of industry Is still re- 

 c:)mmended as profitable, in Belgium, though the for- 

 mer scarcity and high price of sugar no longer conti- 

 nues. See " Observations sitr les ctvantages quHl y aurait 

 a multiplier les fabriqiies de sucre de betteraves,^^ published 

 in 1839, in the Journal d\figricidtitre, etc, des Pays-Bas. 



laD. FAB. BISG, 



