158 On the Composition and Nutritive Properties of Swedes, 
mangolds seldom contain more than 88 per cent, of water, and 
frequently less. 
In such watery mangolds, the proportion of dry or real feeding 
substance in 100 lbs., weighs only 7 lbs., whilst good roots 
contain 12 lbs. of dry food in every 100 lbs. ; or in other words, 
10 tons of the more nutritious mangolds are worth about 17 
tons of the watery roots. 
According to the character of soil, the mode of cultivation, 
the kind and quantity of manures used, the character of the 
season, prevailing climate in a district, and similar conditions, 
the composition and nutritive properties of all root-crops are 
subject to great variations. Swedes are no exception to this 
general rule, as will be seen by referring to the various analyses 
embodied in the pages of this paper. Even roots grown in 
the same field, under the same conditions, often vary much 
in composition, owing to the circumstance that mixed old and 
new seed has been sown, in consequence of which the roots 
are found, at a given period, in different stages of development. 
In illustration of this fact, the accompanying analyses (Tables I. 
and II.) which I made of 12 swedes all grown in the same field 
may be quoted. 
A glance at the first Table (No. I.) shows that the percentage 
of water in the 12 roots ranged from 83*22 to 89 per cent. The 
lowest and the highest proportions of water in these roots were 
rather exceptional, for good swedes may be taken to contain, 
on an average, from 88 to 88^ per cent, of water. With the 
proportions of water, the amount and relative proportions of 
the different solid constituents naturally varies considerably, 
a fact which appears more clearly when the composition of the 
roots is calculated in their dry state. 
The second Table (No. II.) shows the composition of each 
root when dried at 212° Fahr. 
Amongst other particulars, it will be seen that the propor- 
tions of sugar and analogous compounds in the different roots 
in a dry state varied, in round numbers, from 48 to 61f per 
cent., and that in the better specimens the proportions of these 
compounds constituted about half the weight of the solid sub- 
stance of the roots. 
The variations in the proportions of albuminous compounds 
also were great. Thus, whilst root No. 9 contained only 104- 
per cent, of albuminous matter, No. 11 contained nearly 18 
per cent. Minor variations will be noticed in the ash and 
other constituents, upon which I need not dwell. It is in- 
teresting to notice in these analyses, that a comparatively high 
percentage of nitrogen in the roots goes hand-in-hand with a 
correspondingly low percentage of sugar ; and it will be further 
