SUGAR-BEET. 193 



CHAPTER XII. 



SUGAR-BEET. 



Its Value. — Soil and Preparation. — Culture. — Harvesting.— 

 Feeding. — Product. — Seed. 



[It is the opinion of some of our best farmers, that, 

 owing to the difference of the climate, the turnip, 

 which has so revolutionized the agriculture of Eng- 

 land, will not succeed as well here. Should such 

 be the case, a most admirable substitute is at hand 

 in the sugar-beet, which, as yet, has rarely failed in 

 producing excellent crops. Of the value of this 

 root for stock generally, and milch cows in particu- 

 lar, there seems to be but one opinion, and that 

 most favourable. Having had little experience in 

 the culture of this root ourselves, we have selected 

 for the substance of this chapter a communication 

 from a gentleman whose name is a sufficient guar- 

 antee for the correctness of the opinions and state- 

 ments which it contains. — Editors.] 



Of the different species of roots for the support 

 and sustenance of stock, the sugar-beet seems des- 

 tined to become the most extensively cultivated 

 throughout North America. It is finer grained, 

 sweeter, more delicate and agreeable to the taste 

 than mangold-wurzel, and, at the same time, is more 

 nutritious, gives as large a yield, and is equally thrifty 

 and hardy, and as susceptible of an extended culti- 

 vation in the various latitudes. Fed raw, it is pre- 



