46 



BEET. 



those which are taken away, and care must be taken to pre- 

 serve the top leaves, or the crown of the plants. The 

 leaves may be taken off every fifteen days after the first 

 gathering. Oxen, cows and sheep devour them greedily, 

 and fatten readily upon them. All domestic poultry eat 

 them readily, when chopped fine and mixed with grain. 

 Horses will feed upon them very well, mixed with chopped 

 strav;^. Hogs also fatten upon them. 



" Cov\^s fed upon this root, solely, give a greater quan- 

 tity of milk and cream, and of better quality for the first 

 fifteen days, after which they grow too fat, and the milk 

 lessens. The food of cows must therefore be varied. Oxen 

 and sheep fatten very well upon them. Cows should have 

 grass in proportion of one third to the beet leaves, or every 

 third day they should be turned to grass. In this mode 

 their milk will be excellent. The trouble of gathering the 

 leaves is less than that of gathering any other green fodder. 

 It may be done by children, while men are required to cut 

 other green food for cattle. It is the surest crop, since the 

 plant will stand the largest droughts. The roots are gath- 

 ered and treated like those of the common beet. The skin 

 is very tender, and care should be taken to handle them so 

 as they may not be wounded, as they will, in that case, not 

 keep so well. In order to preserve the seed in purity, care 

 must be taken to change the ground in which the seed-beets 

 are planted. The seed can be preserved, after it is gath- 

 ered, three or four years, without injury. In giving these 

 rootr- to cattle for food, they are first washed, and then cut 

 up into pieces about the size of a nut. It is always best to 

 accompany them, when given to horned cattle, with clover, 

 or oijier hay or straw, and if the hay or straw has been 

 previously cut fine, it will be preferable. If horses are fed 

 with this root, with a proportion of hay or cut straw, (hall 

 of each,) they will be fat, vigorous and healthy. If they 

 are worked severely, a little oats or corn maybe added. It 

 is thus they are treated in Germany, where this root stands 

 in the stead of meadows or grass lands, and whose excel- 

 lent horses are well known. 



Hogs, fed upon them rav/, after they have been cut up 

 fine and mixed with milk or other drink, fatten as well upon 

 thc-m as upon boiled potatoes, by vv^hich the fuel and trouble 

 OL boiling is saved. 



