416 FIELD CROPS 



American farmers. It is more necessary for sugar beets than 

 for other root crops, as uniformity is more important in that 

 crop, and the seed is sown thicker to insure a full stand. 

 Large yields being essential to the profitable production of 

 root crops of all kinds, much depends on the preparation of 

 the soil, its freedom from weeds, and the care which is given. 



538. Harvesting. Mangels should be harvested as soon 

 as growth stops in the fall, which is when the outer leaves 

 begin to wither. They should not be exposed to severe 

 frosts, though the first light frosts will not injure them. The 

 roots should be removed from the ground without breaking 

 or bruising them, for bruised roots soon decay. If necessary, 

 they may be loosened by plowing a furrow close beside the 

 row, or by a beet digger run under the row, but mangels can 

 usually be pulled easily by hand. The tops are then twisted 

 or cut off and the beets thrown into piles from which they are 

 loaded into wagons and hauled to the root cellar or pit for 

 storing. The tops may be thrown into windrows for curing, 

 as they make excellent feed for cattle, sheep, and hogs. If 

 they are not desired for feeding, they should be scattered 

 over the field and plowed under for fertilizer. 



539. Storing. Mangels and other roots should be stored 

 as soon as harvested. For this purpose, a root cellar is de- 

 sirable, though not absolutely necessary. Good ventilation, 

 freedom from dampness, and a temperature just above the 

 freezing point give the best conditions for storing. If a 

 cellar is not available, the roots may be placed in a pit and 

 covered with alternate layers of straw and earth, increasing 

 the depth of covering as the weather becomes colder. 



540. Uses. Mangels are used as a substitute for corn 

 and corn silage in the North and in high altitudes where the 

 weather is too cool for that crop to succeed. The dry matter 

 in mangels is equal in feeding value to the dry matter 



