Mail (/old- Wurzel. 
133 
4. The proportion of nitrogen in the root is rather above the 
average. 
The legitimate conclusion that can be deduced from these 
observations is that this root, although apparently sound, has 
undergone some changes, which have deteriorated its feeding 
qualities. It is, however, no doubt still sufficiently well pre- 
served, and contains sufficient nutritive matter to be given to cattle 
with great advantage. 
I may observe that I have examined roots late in the season, 
after having been stored for seven months, and that in these roots 
I have always found less water, sometimes considerably less than 
in the roots at the time when they were stored in autumn. 
The large quantity of water (92 per cent.) in the root which 
has been kept for two years, is larger than in the worst grown 
mangolds taken fresh from the field. There cannot therefore 
remain much cTbubt that keeping for two years has had an un- 
favourable effect upon the constitution of this root. 
Again, the large amount of mineral matter in this mangold 
appears to me to indicate that probably a considerable quantity 
of the dry organic matter has entered into fermentation and 
escaped in a gaseous state. We know that roots put in heaps 
ferment, and also that every kind of fermentation if prolonged for 
any considerable time is accompanied with loss of substance. 
The fact that this mangold wurzel contained a great deal of ash, 
seems to me to imply that the fermentation in this case has been 
attended with considerable loss in feeding substances. The 
mineral portion cannot escape by evaporation, nor is it affected 
by fermentation ; in the measure therefore in which the organic 
portion of the root diminished, that of the mineral portion must 
have increased. 
It is to be regretted that a number of mangolds of the growth 
of 1857 were not weighed and one or two examined at the time 
when the crop was stored away, and again weighed and analysed 
at the end of the first year s storage, and also at the end of the 
second year. We might then have traced more definitively the 
changes in the root, which I feel assured have taken place. This 
is a subject well worthy the notice of root-growers ; for it must 
be a matter of considerable interest to practical men to know how 
long mangolds can be stored without suflfering injury, and it is like- 
wise of importance to determine by precise experiments by what 
time stored roots have acquired their maximum feeding properties. 
Although I am of opinion that it is bad policy to keep man- 
gold for two years, it is still an interesting fact that this mangold 
could be kept apparently sound for so long a time. The question 
arises : — Do all mangolds when properly stored keep equally 
well ? I confess that I doubt this, and am inclined to think that 
the large quantity of salt in this mangold may have had some 
