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THE COMPLETE FARMER 



not the least important of its uses. Ewes yean usually at 

 the season when grass cannot be supplied. The health of 

 themselves and the thrift of their lambs essentially depend 

 upon succulent food being had. I am inclined to think, that 

 no small portion of the success which English breeders have 

 met, is to be ascribed to the large stores of roots which they 

 always have at command. It cannot be denied, that Indian 

 meal will of itself, in most cases, produce extraordinary fat- 

 ness, as well as great size ; but I have been led to believe, 

 that diseases are early engendered by this species of forcing, 

 which is always expensive, and too often eventually destroys 

 the animal which has been thus reared." 



' Messrs. T. and H. Little observe, as to the value of the 

 roots for feeding stock, " there is a variety of opinions ; but, 

 from a number of years' experience, we think them a valua- 

 ble addition, and highly worth cultivating. Comparing them 

 with English hay, and we know of no better standard, in 

 our opinion, three tons of mangel-wurtzel, or potatoes, (of 

 the two, we value the mangel-wurtzel the highest,) are 

 equal to one ton of hay, for feeding stock generally ; but 

 for milch cows, we think two tons of equal value. For feed- 

 ing store swine, mangel-wurtzel is the only root that we 

 know of which we can cultivate and feed to profit. Six 

 bushels of raw mangel-wurtzel we think equal to one bushel 

 of Indian corn." 



' Quantity to an Acre. The premium crop of the Messrs. 

 Little was thirty-three tons ten hundred weight and four- 

 teen pounds on an acre. Colonel Powel inclosed certificates 

 to the president of the Pennsylvania Agricultural society, 

 showing that sixteen hundred and thirty-four bushels of man- 

 gel-wurtzel, weighing seventy-eight thousand four hundred 

 and forty-eight pounds, were produced upon one acre and 

 fourteen perches ; and a part of the same field, containing 

 thirteen contiguous rows, produced at the rate of two thou- 

 sand and sixty-five bushels per acre, weighing forty-four 

 tons five hundred and twenty-seven pounds. In Great Bri- 

 tain, it is said that upwards of sixty tons have been raised 

 on an acre. 



' Gathering and Preserving. In gathering the roots, care 

 should be taken to cut oflT the leaves about half an inch 

 above the crown, as they will not keep so well if cut more 

 closely. Messrs. Tristram and Henry Little say, " As to 

 the best mode of preserving them, we have tried divers 

 ways, — by pitting them, by putting them into a barn and 



