FEEDING QUALITIES OF THE BEET. 311 



Before bringing this important qnestion to an end 

 we wish to call attention to some curious facts that 

 took place on Mr. Leduc's farm. At one period he 

 hnd several sheep which were about to have young ; 

 he fed them with the fermented mixture, and they re- 

 mained in perfect health. The lambs were born, and 

 he still continued to give the same food; after six 

 months these were sold in a perfect condition. Those 

 which had been fed with the ordinary pulp also after 

 a short time had their young and became sick and died. 

 He repeated this several times, and in each case the re- 

 sults were fatal. I^ow, as shown, we have here food 

 tliat all animals will eat, and is at the disposal of the 

 most limited purse and suits the most delicate stomach. 



4. Feeding Qualities of the Leaves. 



The use of leaves as fodder is not new, and at one 

 period the beet was cultivated^ for its leaves alone. 

 Evidently, at that time the elements constituting the 

 nourishing properties of food could not have been well 

 understood, as it is now a well-known fact that if the 

 root hiid been utilized in various proportions combined 

 with the leaves, the results obtained would have been 

 even more satisfactory. The utilization of the beet 

 for sugar manufacture soon bi-ought to public notice 

 principles until then overlooked and unknown. 



At the present day these leaves are used in large 



' See " IMemoire de la Socie'6 d' Ameulturc de Paris, 1789." 



