82 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ferz., 1902. 
they should be thinned out to 80 inches. The quantity of seed per acre varies 
according to the condition of the seed bed and time of sowing. If conditions 
are favourable, 8 lb. of seed is quite sufficient, but for early or very late sowings 
heavier seeding is to be commended, because it is easier and less expensive to 
hoe out a thick crop than to patch up a thin one. When the plants are up 
and into their first and second rough leaf—z.e., past the cotyledon stage—they 
must be thinned out with the hand hoe. This operation will probably have to 
be partly done by the hand. The seeds being contained in a rough, hard 
capsule which cannot be separated, it frequently occurs that two or more 
plants grow up together and must in consequence be singled out by the fingers. 
‘All the after cultivation required consists of horse-hoeing, and the oftener this 
can be performed the better will be the result. 
For the information of those who have never grown mangels, | may state 
that on the Hermitage Experimental Farms, on heavy stiff clay, without the aid 
of any fertiliser, I have grown over 50 tons to the acre ; and at Dalveen, on a very 
light soil, up to 40 tons per acre. JI have no hesitation in saying that nearly 
double this weight can be produced under favourable conditions. From the 
many varieties | have grown, I recommend the following. The main object 
is to go toa reliable seedsman, and get the best possible strain of whichever 
variety you intend sowing; don’t buy job lots or seed saved from your 
neighbour's garden varieties :— 
Long Mammoth Red.—Best for deep strong lands; very large roots; 
heavy cropper. 
Yellow Globe-—More suitable for light shallow soils; a large round bulb, 
sits well on the surface of the ground; heavy cropper. 
Golden Tankard.—Fine oyal shape ; not so large as the above, and might 
be left a little closer in the drills; the richest in saccharine. 
I shall be glad to furnish any further particulars to those who desire 
them. 
GROWING MANGELS. 
The accompanying photographs are illustrative of experiments in mangel, 
beet, and turnip growing at Biggenden State Farm. j 
The varieties experimented with were Champion Yellow Globe, Long 
Yellow, Red Globe, and Long Red. Previous to sowing the seed, the land was 
well cultivated, although no special preparation was given. During the first 
week in March, the seed was sown in rows 3 feet apart, by means of the 
Planet Jr. The seed was drilled at the rate of about 4 lb. per acre. The 
young plants were thinned out by the hoe to a distance of 15 inches apart. 
This was found to be too close—an increase to 18 inches would have answered 
better. No manure was applied to the crops. The spaces between the rows 
were gone through on three occasions with the Planet Jr. horse-hoe. The 
crop took about seven months to mature. Part was then taken up and stored 
in a shallow pit, and part used for pigs and horses as required. The remainder 
was harvested in November. Those stored in the pit were recently taken out, 
and found to be in excellent condition. ‘Those left on the field also kept well, 
only one or two of the Long Yellow variety showing signs of rotting. e plan 
of taking the roots up when reaching maturity is to be recommended, as, when 
covered up in a shallow pit, they remain quite hard, and, if anything, improve 
in condition. 
Although the area planted was not large enough to give an accurate 
estimate as to the weight per acre, still, says the manager of the farm, Mr. G. 
B. Brookes, sufficient. was grown to show that, given an ordinary season, 
enormous quantities of mangels could be grown as feed for dairy stock, pigs, &c. 
In the Long Red variety roots weighing from 25 lb. to 30 lb. were quite 
common, whilst some went as high as 35 lb. in weight. 
