Cultivation of Beet. 



223 



ing effect, and therefore if used at all should only be given in 

 small quantities and in conjunction with dry food ; thus from the 

 early frost which has set in, we have been obliged to feed our 

 cattle when first brought into the yards on beet : and to obviate 

 the purging effect in some measure, the beet is cut small with a 

 slicer, and then mixed in the troughs with straw-chaff ; but unless 

 it is from necessity beet should not be given early in the season. 



The yellow varieties are used first, as these are found to be 

 less loosening in their effects on animals. 



The quantity of beet given in a day is about 3 bushels, varying 

 with the size of the cattle, with an allowance of corn, cake^ and 

 chaff. 



On a light land farm beet is of great use, when given in 

 troughs, to fatting sheep, when first folded on grass or clover after 

 the turnips are consumed ; and they are also useful for the same 

 purpose on adhesive land ; but on this description of soil beet is 

 best given to cattle or to sheep fed in yards or sheds. To breed- 

 ing sheep a limited allowance may be of great benefit in jVIarch 

 and April, either thrown out on a dry pasture or given in troughs. 

 Given to cows they are found to produce an increased quantity of 

 milk, which will amply repay an allowance of 1 bushel a cow per 

 day ; and for this purpose it is superior to the turnip or swede, 

 though perhaps inferior to the carrot. The late Earl Spencer has 

 proved that mangold is at least equal to swedes in its feeding 

 qualities. 



The following experiment is extracted from a pamphlet on 

 mangold-wurzel, v\'ritten by Thomas Newby of Cambridge, and 

 published in 1828^ a book which has, perhaps, had but a local 

 circulation : — 



" On the morning- of the 18th of October two milch cows which had 

 calved in the spring were selected and turned out into an over-eaten 

 pasture, and fed every morning and evening with hay only — the milk 

 was measured at each meal, the cream was also measured, and the 

 butter weighed at each chm-ning ; and the result was as follows for one 

 week : — 



Milk . . 101 quarts. 

 Cream . . ,, 

 Batter . . 4| lbs. 



The cows remained in the same pasture another week, and were fed with 

 mangold-wurzel and hay, each cow having half a bushel of the root 

 sliced, and given to them morning and evening; the result was — 



Milk . . 130 quarts. 



Cream . . St 

 Butter . . 6f lbs. 



The cows remained in the same pasture one week more, and were fed 



