The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-05-12

Mangels and Stock Bcets Furnish
Good Substitute for slIago as Sue
culent Feed for Cows.

Clemson College. May 6.-Farm-
ers who have not enough cows 10
warrant them In building silos are
advised by Clemson College to grow
mangels. stock bects and turnips TO
supply s%ucculent feed for winter.
These crops may be banked like
sweet potatoes and kept throughout
tho winter without spelling. they
are good substitutes for silage where
silage Is not available. 1t must be
understood. however. that silage is
the most economical and best succu-
lent winter feed and is recommended
strongly to all farmers with ten or
more COWS.
With the planting Of turnips. all
are more or less familiar. Many
farmers. however. will be glad to re-
ceive directions for planting man.
gels. with which they nave not had
much experience. In a bulletin
soon to be published, +. G.. Tarbox,
Jr.' OF h agronomy division of
Clemson College. gives directions for
growing mangels. together with q
number OF other crops especially
planned for the farmers with a few
cows. He writes OF mangels as fol-
lows:
The mangel Is planted and Guilt
waited In the same manner as the
beet. except that II requires a more
deeply prepared soil. It's chief ad-
vantage VIII be that OF furnishing
%succulent feed durlns the fall months.
in which time there Is usually very
little az any green fed available.
Mangels should not be planted on
poor land. nor OF land that has not
ben plowed deep and well harrow
cd until n fine seed bed Is obtained.
IL Is n crop which Is not easily hurt
by too much anu and fertilizer
IL IL is we'll mixed with the soil. The
richer the land. the better II will be
for mangeis.
About eight tons per acre can be
obtained from land OF fair fertility.
About nine hundred pounds will be
required per month for zach COW
Enough should be grown 10 feed the
cows for three months and IL is be-
lieved h n one-hfth of an acre per
COW will be about the proper acre
age tn plant. III there should be
moro mangels than the cattle can
dispose OF they can be fed to hogs
and dry cattle.
Planting should be done I'm early
spring. However. II will be safe to
plant them until June /. although
farmers are strongly advised to get
them In as much earlier than this as
possible. Sow the seed I'm two-foot
rows and thin To one plant every
twelve inches. Use five pounds of
seed por acre. Red Globe. Tankard.
Golden Yellow and Monmouth are
good varieties To plant for selling.
The seed are slow I'm coming up and
care should be taken In cultivating.
a few radish or turnip seed can be
sown along with the mangcls to
mark the row SO that they will not
be trampled on before they come up.
Before frost the mangels should be
either gathered and banked like
sweet potatoes or should have some
soil thrown around them 10 keep
them from freezing in winter. II
the land Is not needed for another
crop they can be left In the field,
provided they are covered up to the
leaves with soil. IL they are to be
pulled md banked. all but two Oh
three inches OF the tops should bC
cut on.
Farmers desiring Information
about a succession OF crops TO plant
10 give them %succulent feed for their
cows throughout the year should
write 10 the extension division. Glen.
son College.