378 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Ocr., 1901. 
TRANSPLANTING MANGEL. 
A correspondent of the Agricultural Gazette, London, writes as follows on 
the subject of transplanting mangel :— 
Relative to the above subject, I have transplanted more or less mange- 
every year, and almost invariably with success. In my opinion the one thing 
most essential is that the plants are large. Unless the weather is very damp, 
the root should, if possible, be as large as a pigeon’s egg, but, practically 
speaking, the larger the better. The great difficulty in practice is haying 
plants of sufficient size, as at the usual time of singling out they are not large 
enough, but the only best thing to do under the circumstances is to collect 
during singling time the largest of the plants and set them on the ground in 
some cool, damp, shady position, to be ready for transplanting when the 
weather is favourable or time permits ; and they will hold good for a length of 
time if they are not exposed to the weather, and are better for transplanting 
when pulled for a week, if properly kept. 
The tops should be twisted or cut off about 4 inches from the root. They 
should be planted firm in the ground, but not too deep, as the crown of the 
root should not be covered. 
The aboye remarks apply equally to the transplanting of swedes, which 
T also found to do well and far better than resowing, but mangel will transplant 
better in dry weather. It must be borne in mind that by transplanting the 
labour of singling out afterwards is saved. If the field is infested with wire- 
worm, and the rooks have pulled the mangel up, they are sure to go for those 
newly transplanted, and in this, too, the large plant has the best chance. The 
success in transplanting in a dry season will, I have no doubt, be pretty much 
in proportion to the size of the plants used. 
I may state that all my experience in transplanting mangel and swedes 
was in good, fresh, well-manured land, and I cannot say what degree of success 
would likely be attained under less favourable conditions of soil. 
SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE. 
From time to time someone denies the value of science in agriculture. 
Not long since in the legislature of a rich agricultural State a member, in 
opposing a Bill which called for an appropriation for educational purposes, 
stated that the best farmer in his neighbourhood did not know how to read and 
write. The time has since long passed into oblivion when it is necessary to 
repel the assaults upon scientific agriculture. While occasionally a man entirely 
ignorant of science may be a good farmer, no one can attain the highest success 
unless he understands the principles which underlie agriculture. He must know 
something of soils and fertilisers, plant and animal growth, nitrogen’s place in 
agriculture, the nature and changes which take place in milk, butter, and 
cheese, &c. During the last twenty years it has been demonstrated over and 
over again that a thorough understanding ot these general principles and their 
practical application are great factors in successful farming.—dmerican 
Agriculturist, 
MIXED FARMING—SHEEP ON FARMS. 
Tn our August issue we answered an inquiry as to whether it would pay a 
farmer to keep a flock of sheep. At a meeting of the Morphett Vale Branch 
of the South Australian Bureau of Agriculture, the general secretary read the 
following notes on sheep:—As a rule it does not pay a farmer to try and deal 
in sheep as many do. ‘They buy sheep from the north, bring them down here, 
and the sheep very probably go back in condition, and the owner loses money. 
The most profitable thing for any farmer in this district is fat lambs. They 
must generally be satisfied to buy old sheep, as the young ewes in the market 
