138 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Europe, it is found necessary to store the sugar beet awhile, un- 

 til certain changes shall have taken place in its nature, before it 

 is in a condition suitable for use. So in the mangold, it is nec- 

 essary that some important change should take place in its na- 

 ture before it can profitably be fed to stock ; if fed liberally, 

 early in the season, it will scour the cows ; feed ruta-bagas» 

 carrots or cabbages early in the season, and feed the mangolds 

 towards spring. 



If planted before the first of June, the long red mangold is 

 apt to have a long, woody, hollow neck by harvest time. I 

 would recommend the ovoid varieties as preferable in this re- 

 spect, besides being of more compact growth, and having fewer 

 lateral roots. The yellow globe is an excellent sort for a sandy 

 soil. If our farmers would be brave enough to have their rows 

 thirty inches, and thin their plants to fifteen inches apart in the 

 row, when young, they would find that they could do about all 

 their tillage with the cultivator and hoe, while they would have 

 as much weight in the crop, and the pleasure of handling man- 

 golds as big as their thigh, instead of as big as their arm. 



As turnips are grown both for family use and for stock, we 

 need to encourage good specimens of all sizes at our annual 

 exhibitions. Of the ruta-baga or Swede class, the best for family 

 use is the white variety, known as " Sweet German." This ex- 

 cels in its sweetness, crispness and keeping qualities. It is also 

 an excellent turnip for stock. The demand for this variety has 

 increased wonderfully within a few years ; whereas twenty years 

 ago it was rare to see a barrel of the white ruta-bagas in -Boston 

 market, almost all sold being of the yellow sort ; now ten of the 

 white may be seen to one of the yellow. Of the yellow varieties, 

 Skirvings has been exceedingly popular, but though it forms 

 good bulbs, the long neck that goes with them is an objec- 

 tion, and Laings, London and Shamrock Swedes are now pre- 

 ferred. 



In testing about a score of flat turnips, American and foreign, 

 I have found our white and purple strap leaf the earliest ; yet 

 I think it is not generally known to our farmers that these are 

 the most subject to the attack of the worm of the wliole class 

 of flat turnips. Yellow Finland, Improved Yellow Globe and 

 Cowhorn are preferable in this respect. 



