412 THE MANGOLD-WUKZEL CROP. 



only to afford a change of keep, but also when we find 

 the one (say turnips) decreasing in their effects, either from 

 their own diminishing value or from satiety in the ani- 

 mals to which they are given, to follow them up by 

 another (mangolds), which are not only fresh to the stock, 

 but at that period in their full value as a feeding substance ; 

 these again being succeeded by carrots for instance, which 

 are always relished by the stock, and will sustain their 

 nutritive properties until the vetches or other fresh keep 

 are ready. 



Where, however, from any causes, mangold is only 

 grown as a casual crop, the selection of the particular field 

 on the farm for its cultivation is more free. In this case 

 the strongest soil of the root-break should be chosen, pro- 

 vided, of course, it be in the condition necessary for car- 

 rying a root crop, as mangold will, cceteris paribus, thrive 

 better than turnips in such soils. 



As the stronger class of soils are those generally allotted 

 to this crop, autumnal cultivation and preparation of the 

 land is even of more importance than with the turnip 

 crop, especially as there is less time for preparation in the 

 spring, the mangold being sown usually about a montli 

 before the turnip-sowing season. Labour is rarely so 

 beneficially bestowed upon a farm as in cleaning the 

 stubbles and getting the land into proper condition before 

 the winter, with its rain and frosts, sets in. After that 

 time but little in the way of preparation for the next 

 year's crops can be done, and if attempted, the soil fre- 

 quently suffers more than an equivalent injury for the 

 small amount of good conferred by the work, which at 

 the best can only be very imperfectly executed. The 

 stubbles should be treated in the manner described at 

 p. 293, and the field not left until it has been thoroughly 

 cleared of all its annual as well as perennial weeds. 

 When this is satisfactorily achieved, the farmyard manure 



