BEET* 



47 



"As to the quantity given to animals, much will depend 

 on the proportion of other fodder, which you allow them. 

 Cows fed twice a day in winter upon eighteen pounds of 

 these roots at each time, together with four pounds of hay 

 or chopped straw, will give as much and as good milk as 

 in summer, and they will be kept in the best possible state." 



" Oxen fed with forty weight of these roots per day, with 

 ten pounds of hay, for one month, and after that with fifty 

 weight per day of the roots alone, ^vill be fat enough for sale 

 in two months more. 



" Any person disposed may, from the facts above stated, 

 calculate how many cattle will be supported by a single 

 acre of land on which this plant is cultivated. 



" Men can eat this vegetable throughout the year ; it is 

 ag^-eeable and healthy. No insect attacks it, and it suffers 

 hue little from the variety of the seasons. The leaves of 

 this plant form alone an excellent food for every species of 

 domestic quadruped, during four months in the year. Tur- 

 nips and other vegetables are, besides, liable to be destroyed 

 by insects, whereas this beet is not. The roots can be pre- 

 served eight months in a sound state, while turnips are of 

 little value after March. In some soils turnips will not 

 grow, particularly in those which are very stiff or strong. 

 The root of scarcity grows every where. The milk of 

 cows fed on turnips has a bad taste. That of those fed on 

 this plant is excellent, as is also the butter made from it. 

 This forage on green fodder comes also at the hot seasons, 

 when almost all other green food is scarce, and sometimes 

 not to be procured. Cattle never get tired of it. In many 

 parts of Germany, where it is raised with success, they pre- 

 fer it to every thing else to fatten those large herds of cattle 

 which they annually export to France. In feeding cattle 

 with beets, the same dry food must be given which is usu- 

 ally given with turnips." 



Col. Powel observes, " My neat cattle prefer mangel 

 wurtzel to any roots which I have offered to them. I 

 have found its effects in producing large secretions of good 

 milk very gi eat. I selected, in November, two heifers of 

 the same breed, and very nearly of the same age, and in 

 similar condition ; they were fed in adjoining stalls, and 

 have been fed, regularly, three times a day, by the same 

 man. One of them has had three pecks of mangel wurtzel, 



