THE CULTURE OF MANGELS 413 



wurzel, for feeding to stock. We are here concerned only 

 with the latter type. The sugar beet will be discussed in the 

 chapter on sugar plants. 



534. The Mangel and the Sugar Beet. The mangel 

 differs from the sugar beet in many characters. The root 

 of the sugar beet is fairly uniform in shape, being largest 

 near the crown and tapering gradually to a long tap root, 

 while that of the mangel is of various shapes in the many 

 varieties. The flesh of the sugar beet is white, while that of 

 the mangel is usually reddish or yellow. The skin of the 

 sugar beet is also white; the mangel may be red, white, gold- 

 en, purplish, or even black. The sugar beet grows almost 

 entirely below the surface of the ground, while in many 

 varieties of mangel half or more of the root is above the sur- 

 face, making it much easier to harvest. Well-grown sugar 

 beets weigh from 1 to 1^ pounds; mangels should weigh 

 from 4 to 6 pounds. The sugar beet contains about 20 per 

 cent of solids, of which about four-fifths is sugar; the mangel 

 contains only about 12 per cent of solids and not more than 

 6 per cent of sugar. 



535. The Soil and Its Preparation. The best soil for 

 beets is a rich loam or sandy loam. The roots do not develop 

 well in clay soils and are more difficult to harvest, while very 

 sandy soils do not retain sufficient moisture. Conditions 

 are usually more favorable in the Northern states than else- 

 where for the growth of mangels. Good preparation is 

 essential to the profitable growth of the crop. The seeds are 

 somewhat slow to germinate and the plants grow slowly at 

 first, so that every precaution should be taken to keep down 

 weeds. This can best be done by planning a rotation which 

 contains crops which aid in the control of these pests. One 

 which has been successfully used in some sections consists of 

 (1) corn, (2) barley, and (3) mangels or some other root crop. 



