BOTANY AS APPLIED TO VETERINARY SCIENCE. 
G65 
the light, the latter for the heavier, class of soil. It will grow 
upon a great variety of soils, but thrives best on a deep, rich 
loam. The seed is generally planted in April or May, and 
the root attains its full growth towards the end of October. 
Mr. Newby says “ that a pound of good seed is calculated to 
contain about 22,000. An acre of land, in eighteen-inch 
rows, the plants twelve inches apart, w T ould contain 29,040 
plants; if the roots weighed one pound each, on an average, 
there would be thirteen tons; if they weighed ten pounds each, 
130 tons. These latter would furnish nine hundredweight, 
forty-eight pounds of well-grained, white, powder sugar, and 
231 gallons of rectified spirits, besides the green leaves afforded 
for cattle, and the dregs after distillation for pigs/’ Both 
leaves and root are much liked by horses, oxen, sheep, and 
pigs, and afford them an exceedingly valuable supply of food. 
A system of removing the leaves from the plants, which is 
adopted in many parts, has, without doubt, an injurious effect 
upon the value of the root, for it has been well observed that 
as long as a mangold leaf is in a fit state to be wholesome 
or useful as food for cattle, so long is it important to the 
well-being of the root. 55 The root of the mangold is of great 
value to all kinds of stock, especially to milch cows, increasing 
both the quality and quantity of the milk, without imparting 
to it that disagreeable flavour which turnips frequently pro¬ 
duce. The following is its composition : 
Water .... 
Plesh-forming constituents 
Woody fibre . 
Sugar .... 
Pectin, gum . 
Inorganic matters (ash) . 
8778 
1- 54 
T12 
6-30 
2- 50 
0-9G 
Much discussion has taken place in regard to its fattening 
properties, some asserting that it will fatten animals, while 
equally good authorities consider it worthless as fattening 
food, especially for sheep. That it possesses fattening proper¬ 
ties the above will at once confirm, although, when given 
alone, from the large quantity of water it contains, very little 
benefit may result, but when mixed with some dry food, such 
as hay or straw, the beneficial effects will soon be produced. 
tff Mangolds should not be given to animals before the end of 
December or beginning of January. The roots are found, 
when fresh taken up, to contain an acrid substance, tending 
to scour the animals which partake of it. The pectin, too, in 
old roots is found to change into sugar. 55 
[To be continued .) 
