8 



manure is not available seaweed may be plowed under by placing it 

 in the furrows as the plow makes its rounds. Carrots and parsnips 

 prefer the lighter soils, and mangels, turnips, swedes and rutabagas, 

 the heavier soils. 



About four pounds of seed per acre are required except mangels, 

 of which about twelve pounds are required. Sow in rows so as to 

 cultivate and thin out to from six to two feet according to size of roots. 



Mangels are related to the sugar beet and should be selected for 

 growth in the south and interior valleys as they are more tolerant 

 of heat. 



From ten to twenty-five tons per acre or more may be expected 

 according to the fertility of the land and the kind of crop grown. 

 To be sure root crops are mostly water, so that if their chemical 

 composition alone is to be considered little could be expected. For 

 centuries, however, it has been known that the adding of a succulent 

 easily digestible food to the ration is both healthful and economical. 



The dry matter of all root crops is of the same general feed value, 

 but different kinds of root crops differ greatly in the amounts of 

 dry matter and water that they contain. A pound of dry matter 

 in mangels and other root crops is equivalent to about one pound of 

 grain and mangels can be substituted for about one-half of the neces- 

 sary grain ration in the proportion of about twelve to fifteen pounds 

 of mangels per pound of grain. Root crops may be fed to milch cows, 

 sheep or steers with good results. They will prove a valuable factor 

 in increasing the flow of milk where cows have access only to dry 

 hay or dry pasture. A steer being fattened on dry feed will make 

 better use of the ration when some roots are included. Their value 

 for fattening lambs and maintaining a supply of milk in breeding 

 ewes is well known. 



SWEET CLOVER 



Sweet clover has been grown to a considerable extent in the 

 eastern and middle western states for a number of years. Only 

 recently, however, has its merits as a forage crop been recognized in 

 California. Two factors have militated against it, namely, its bitter 

 taste which makes stock dislike it until accustomed to it, and the 

 Uncertainty of securing a stand. 



There have been many failures with sweet clover, mostly due to 

 one of the following causes : 



1. Lack of lime in the soil. 



2. Lack of inoculation. 



3. The loose character of the seed bed. 



