Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-04-29
The Culture and Use of Mangels.

better, because more solid and less
succulent; as large in size and rs
heavy in the yield. We can grow
mangels anywhere from "a to 40
pounds weight, if we wish, and at a
cost that renders them the cheapest
food we have. Forty tons per acre,
equal to 1900 bushels, are grown by
good farmers who understand the
needed culture, and any farmer may
grow as many, who will follow the
right method. Is there any crop
that will pay better? Mangels con.
tain over one per cent. Of tlesh-form-
ing material which is worth 4 I cents
per pound, and 10 per cent. of car
bohydrates worth one cent per pound.
This is for the fresh roots having SO
per cent. of water in them. At 144
cents per 100 pounds, eqnal to 81
cents per bushel, Il crop of 10 tons
gives return of SlI3.75 per acre.
| To realize as much from corn one
must grow nearly 200 bushels per
acre. 1t requires but little figuring
/ to discover which is the more profit
/ able crop.
~ We need TO grow roots. They
exert a beneficial influence upon the
soil not directly, but growing out
of the necessities of their culture.
The land must be we'll worked, must
! be we'll manured and must be kept
free from weeds. A truly honest
| farmer, | mean one who is honest TO
himself and his profession and to his
farm, should grow roots for this very
reason, because the work disciplines
him, in fact, will make a good and
| successful farmer Of him.
Let us consider what he must do.
/ There must be a stock of good we'll
rotted manure prepared. This is in
dispensable, and the ground should
have been well plowed before winter
sets in. But the manure must be
had, if roots are desired. TO grow
one acre, then, there should be %
loads of manure made, turned over
three or four times, kept fermenting
( through the winter and prepared for
use early next May. This is discip-
linary and useful work il enriches
the farm and the farmer, and the
labor will give him higher ideas than
are usually held regarding this work
of making manure. Instead of being
considered as filthy, disagrceatlc
work, the manure heap will be to him
laboratory experiment; carefully
prepared well made; fully perform.
ed ; and its results watched with
great interest. It will bring in the
intellect to the aid OF the hands and
arms, and will set in action n new
order of affairs on the farm, as any
thing will do that is done for a pur.
pose. This is the winters work.
Next comes the seed: six pounds to
an acre is the quantity required.
The next consideration is the vari-
ETY.. After growing. the past year,
twelve different varieties of mangels
and beets, would select the Kinver
Yellow Globe for its soundness. color
and yield. Next / would choose
Lanes Improved sugar beet, and
would grow half an acre Of each, if ]
had but one acre. like variety and
so do my COWS; and ii | can induce
a COW to eat n few pounds more of
sliced roots for her MONDAY meal,
she will rest the better in the after
noon, and milk the better in the
evening for it.; and by giving
change week about, with these two
roots, the sweetest sugar beets seem
TO keep up the cows appetite.
The spring work, next, is TO be
thought about. If / could procure,
or afford to procure grubber,
would use that to- work the fall
plowed ground. This loosens the soil
for 10 inches in depth without turning
it over, and makes it in the very best
condition for growing roots. Not
having such an implement, l would
cross-plow the ground after spreading
the manure, and so mix the soil and
manure, and then still further mix it
by thorough narrowing The soil is
then marked out in furrows as straight
as possible, 27 inches apart. In the
mean time the seed is soaking, and as
soon as the fnrrows are made, before
the soil has had time to dry, the seed
is sown by hand In them, and man
or boy following, covers them about
two inches deep with hoe. A dis
tinct mark of each furrow Is still left
by which it may be seen with ease.
Three hundred pounds per acre OF
Peruvian Guano, blood manure,
superphosphate of lime or specially
prepared mangel and beet fertilizer
are then scattered along the row and
few inches on each side. by soaking
a small portion of the seed, the por-
tion that will grow will be ascertained,