170 On the Composition and Nutritive Properties of Swedes, 
not been so mild. The roots appear to have been fully ripe in 
November ; and in this state swedes, it appears from these experi- 
ments, cannot be kept in clamps without sustaining serious loss. 
Strange to say, the swedes with the tops on, which were merely 
thrown together in a trench and covered with earth, kept sound 
to the end of the experiments, but, as will be seen by the pre- 
ceding analyses, lost much in feeding-quality. 
Although swedes, when they are pulled up towards the end of 
November, and without removing the tops are thrown in a shallow 
trench and lightly covered with earth, keep better than when they 
are topped and tailed and clamped in the usual way, it is not 
desirable, at any rate in a mild winter, to choose this plan and 
place them in trenches in preference to the usual way of storage 
in clamps in a cleaned state ; for in a mild season they throw 
out tops which appear to be formed at the expense of the 
nutriment stored up in the bulbs. 
With a view of obtaining a clear insight into the changes 
which swedes undergo when left in the soil for a long time in a 
growing state, I made a series of experiments some years ago ; an 
account of which may here find an appropriate place. 
Six swedes were planted on the 19th of March two feet apart 
from each other, their weight having been ascertained before 
Panting, lbs. ozs. 
J 1US, uzs. 
Root No. 1 weighed 3 72 
„ No. 2 „ 3 30 
„ No. 3 „ 2 13j 
„ No. 4 „ 2 14* 
„ No. 5 „ '. 2 7i 
„ No. 6 „ 2 8i 
An average sample of swedes from the same field from which 
the preceding roots were taken was analysed on the 20th of 
March and found to have the following composition : — 
Composition of Swedes on tin 20/7* of March. 
Water 90 '10 
* Albuminous compounds 1*67 
Non-nitrogenous organic constituents 7 " 68 
Mineral matter (ash) "55 
100-00 
* Containing nitrogen -26 
The root No. 1 planted on the 19th of March, and then 
weighing 3 lbs. ounces, was taken up from the land on the 
14th of April, and weighed. lbg ozs 
The bulb weighed 3 1 
The tops 0 55 
