4 Mangold- Wurzel. 



turnips. In good mangolds the proportion of water amounts to 

 88 or 89 per cent., and sometimes is even lower than 88 per cent 



2. The proportion of mineral matter or ash in this root like- 

 wise is very large, it being much more considerable than in good 

 mangolds. 



3. It will be noticed that nearly the whole of the mineral 

 matter consists of soluble salts. As the root tasted rather saltish, 

 I thought it worth while to determine the amount of common salt 

 in it, and was surprised to find no less than '64 of a grain of com- 

 mon salt in the root in its natural state, or 8'25 grains in the dried 

 root. More than half of the soluble mineral matter found in this 

 root therefore consisted of salt. In the growth of the mangolds, 

 of which the root examined by me was a specimen, much salt was 

 evidently employed as a manure. 



4. The proportion of nitrogen in the root is rather above the 

 average. 



The legitimate conclusion that can be deduced from these 

 observations is that this root, although apparently sound, has 

 undergone some changes, which have deteriorated its feeding 

 qualities. It is, however, no doubt still sufficiently well pre- 

 served, and contains sufficient nutritive matter to be given to cattle 

 with great advantage. 



I may observe that I have examined roots late in the season, 

 after having been stored for seven months, and that in these roots 

 I have always found less water, sometimes considerably less than 

 in the roots at the time when they were stored in autumn. 



The large quantity of water (92 per cent.) in the root which 

 has been kept for two years, is larger than in the worst grown 

 mangolds taken fresh from the field. There cannot therefore 

 remain much doubt that keeping for two years has had an un- 

 favourable effect upon the constitution of this root. 



Again, the large amount of mineral matter in this mangold 

 appears to me to indicate that probably a considerable quantity 

 of the dry organic matter has entered into fermentation and 

 escaped in a gaseous state. We know that roots put in heaps 

 ferment, and also that every kind of fermentation if prolonged for 

 any considerable time is accompanied with loss of substance. 

 The fact that this mangold wurzel contained a great deal of ash, 

 seems to me to imply that the fermentation in this case has been 

 attended with considerable loss in feeding substances. The 

 mineral portion cannot escape by evaporation, nor is it affected 

 by fermentation ; in the measure therefore in which the organic 

 portion of the root diminished, that of the mineral portion must 

 have increased. 



It is to be regretted that a number of mangolds of the growth 

 of 1857 were not weighed and one or two examined at the time 



