i:4 Agricultural Chemistry. 



' The turnip is a biennial plant which stores food the first season 

 and produces seed the second year. The several varieties differ 

 chiefly in the form and color of the root. The common turnip 

 contains about 8 per cent of dry matter, which is largely starch. 

 The rutabaga, or Swede turnip, contains more dry matter (about 

 13 per cent) and about 10 per cent of carbohydrates. The lower 

 content of water than in the turnip promotes better keeping 

 qualities. Turnips require an abundance of nitrogenous fer- 

 tilizer. Investigations in this country indicate that the turnip 

 family is less dependent upon readily available forms of phos- 

 phoric acid than other crops. 



The beet is cultivated in several varieties. It is a deeper 

 feeder than the turnip by virtue of its longer tap-root. The com- 

 mon red beet contains about the same proportion of dry matter 

 and nutrients as the rutabaga. Mangel-wurzels, or field beets, 

 are somewhat poorer than the red beet in dry matter, and notice- 

 ably so in nitrogen-free extract. The mangel produces a large 

 root containing about 12 per cent of dry matter. The sugar beet 

 is a smaller variety of the mangel. It contains more dry matter 

 (13 to 19 per cent) than the other roots, most of which is sucrose. 

 The production of beet sugar in Europe alone for 1903-1904 was 

 estimated at about six million tons, or nearly twice the world's 

 production of cane sugar. These root crops do best on deep, 

 loamy soil, in rather warm, damp seasons, except that the mangel 

 and sugar beet require rather dry fall weather. Mangels are 

 probably the most exhaustive farm crop and require heavier ma- 

 nuring than the other roots, 12 to 14 tons of manure per acre 

 being a common application. They are less dependent than 

 turnips upon phosphate fertilizers, but respond generously to 

 applications of nitrate of soda (about 200 pounds per acre). 

 This crop is also benefited by the addition of common salt. The 

 production of large roots is sometimes objectionable because the} 

 contain much more water than small ones. This is true with 

 sugar beet, where a high production of sugar is desired. 

 manuring is therefore avoided and the crop is thickly sown. 



