414 THE MANGOLD-WURZEL CEOP. 



The depth of soil can be obtained by deep tillages fol- 

 lowing the use of the subsoil plough once in a rotation, or 

 even if only once during the terra of lease. The necessary 

 supply of moisture is naturally present in the stronger 

 class of soils usually selected for mangold, while all surplus 

 water is carried away by the thorough draining which 

 ought always to precede the use of the subsoil plough. 

 Although mangold, from its habit of growth and great 

 powers of development, requires a large amount of mois- 

 ture to enable it to carry on its processes in a healthy and 

 vigorous manner, it is most important that the soil in 

 which it is cultivated should be quite free from stagnant 

 water, which shows its injurious effects on the plants 

 directly their roots reach the water-holding stratum; their 

 leaves speedily assume a yellowish hue, and the plant 

 exhibits a sickly aspect. If the land has been deeply 

 ploughed and well tilled, it will naturally retain in its 

 particles the necessary amount of moisture for vegetation, 

 which it is the habit of the mangold to seek for low down 

 in the soil, below the influence of surface evaporation. 

 The tendency of the plant to send down its roots deep 

 into the soil in search of food and moisture, has led to 

 some inconveniences in regard to the draining of the field 

 in which it was growing in some cases where the drains 

 were laid too near the surface, in others where an unusu- 

 ally dry state of the soil induced a greater necessity for 

 obtaining moisture from below. This has been noticed 

 ahd recorded by Mr. Moore, Mr. M 'Lagan, and others 

 drains laid as deep as 3 feet to Si feet below the surface 

 have been found stopped by the roots of the growing crop 

 penetrating through the substratum, and filling up the 

 interior area of the pipes or drain. The necessary "chemi- 

 cal" conditions are secured by the previous cropipng, and 

 by the additions of such manurial substances as are 

 needed to replace those abstracted by preceding crops, or 



