IGO 
On Beet-root Pulp. 
exceedingly. Soil, climate, the character of the season, the 
manures employed, and a variety of similar circumstances, it is 
well known, greatly affect both the quantity and the quality of 
the produce. For this reason we should be on our guard when 
we compare the nutritive value of different kinds of roots, and 
not make more of such comparisons than they deserve. By 
singling out exceptional cases, and using them for special pur- 
poses, many well-established facts might readily be disproved. 
Proceeding in this way I should find no difficulty in proving 
that mangolds are no better than common turnips, for 1 have 
more than once analysed ordinary turnips which contained less 
water and more sugar, and other solid feeding materials, than 
mangolds grown in an unfavourable season. Again, I have 
analysed swedes which were superior to mangolds, and mangolds 
which were more nutritious than swedes, and might prove by 
isolated instances either the superiority of the one or the other. 
In all comparisons of that kind care should be taken to avoid 
extremes, and fairly to represent the average composition of the 
materials under discussion. It may not always be easy to do so, 
and I experienced the difficulty in endeavouring to draw up 
figures which may be regarded as fairly representing the average 
quality of common mangolds and Silesian sugar-beets, both 
grown in this country. The following tabular statement, how- 
ever, I believe represents correctly, and in round numbers, the 
composition of English common mangolds and sugar-beets of 
fair average quality : — 
Composition of Common Mangold and Silesian Sugar-beefs of fair average 
quality grown in England. 
Common Silesian 
Mangold. Sugar beets. 
"Water 8'J-O .... ^4-5 
Sutjar 5"5 
'Albuminous compounds (flesh-forming » j.- 
niatter.s) ) 
Crude fibre .3-0 
Mineral matter (ash) I'O 
9-, 
0 
3-5 
1-0 
100-0 100-0 
* Containing nitrogen .. .. -24 -24 
Speaking generally, the Silesian sugar-beets grown in this 
country contain the same amount of nitrogenous compounds and 
mineral matters as ordinary mangolds, and from 4^ to ,5 per 
cent, less water, and nearly double the amount of sugar which is 
found in common mangolds. The average percentage of dry 
matter in sugar-beets is 15-5, and in common mangolds 11. A 
ton of the former therefore contains 347 lbs. of dry feeding sub- 
stance, in round numbers, and a ton of the latter only 246i lbs. 
