MANGEL GROWING.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2666, 23 October 1882, Page 3

MANGEL GROWING.

Those who have not as yet completed the sowing of this valuable crop will do well to hasten in the work as quickly as possible The weather, with the exception of a few frosty nights, has been all that could be desired, end seldom have prospects seemed more encouraging. Every crop, so far, has been got in under favorable circumstances, and we know of several areas under mangels being already over ground. We regret, however, to have to report that the birds are in some instances doing a great deal of damage, by pulling up the young plants, the culprits in many oases being the skylark, who has a taste for the tender young stem of the mangel plant as it appears above ground. The only remedy we can suggest, beyond that of poisoning, is to sow thickly, the crop to be thinned out if necessary. The value of the mangel as a farm orop is fast being appreciated in the colony. No farm, however small, should be without its foir proportion of this orop,as there is, perhaps.no root crop which will make a better return for careful and liberal treatment. It is a mistake to suppose that it will only thrive in the best soils—with the exception of the long reds, which variety only grows to perfection in the richest soils. We have seen sixty tons per acre of long red mangels on such soils. On the other hand, wherever purple top Aberdeens thrive, yellow and red globe mangels will alio produce good crops. To achieve tbe best results, the land should receive a deep ploughing in autumn, and ha allowed to remain in its rough etate till spring, when it should bo harrowed down, croie ploughed, and again harrowed down. If this land Is fresh and free from weeds, the seed may be sown broadcast, but we greatly prefer sowing in drills 20in apart. By adopting this method the drill grubber can be occasionally run through the orop for the purpose of destroying weeds. Another advantage to be gained by the frequent use of the grubber is that the stirring of the soil keeps the surface loose and friable, by which means evaporation is materially hindered, and rain is more readily absorbed. Unless the ground is in very high condition it will be wise to sow a little superphosphate or guano with the seed, at the rate of IJowt per sore. This quantity will be sufficient (if of the boat quality) to give the plants a start, which is a groat advantage in the growth of all root or preen crops, but more particularly the turnips. It was only a few days ago a farmer told us that he had not much faith in bone duet, ns he had sown about llcwt of fine-ground bones with a portion of his mangel crop Inst year, and that the portion which had not received any produced quite as goal a orop. We do not think this it at all to be wondered at, using so small a quantity. It must be remembered that grinding bonce into duet does not render them entirely soluble ; it ie not until they ave treated with sulphuric aoid that they become eo. If the bones are thrown into a heap a month or two before required, and saturated with stable urine, or even water, and covered up, then allowed to ferment, they will become soluble. One and a half hundredweight of euporphos phate per aore will produce as good results as two and a half hundredweight of fine ground bones j the after results will, however, be better from the ground bones as they gradually decay in the soil. The special

value of the mangel consists in it* keeping properties, a* it will keep soundand good till the following winter, and i* especially valuable in the early spring, when turnip* and all other green feeding have been consumed. ;A few mangel* thrown to working horses at night will bo found an acceptable change. The feeding value of a crop ol mangels mutt not bo estimated by the size of the roots. With a view to ascertaining the comparative feeding value of large and small roots of the same variety, Lord Monton ha* offered a cup for the beat“iet of experiments for this purpose. Professor Tanner, writing on this subject in the “ Agrionltnral Gazette,” says—” 1 suggested a very easy way of testing the value of such root crops, namely, placing some of the roots in a water trough. Those which sank in the water being found to have higher feeding character than those which floated, especially if they floated like so many corks.” It was found that the medium sized roots were generally more solid than those of larger size, and wore of higher feeding character. It must not be supposed that small roots are preferred to large roots for any other reason than this, but quality of food must be taken into account, and if small roots possess the highest feeding properties, it appears desirable to grow a large number of these sma.l roots, so a* to leouro the largest quantity of the best food. The size of the mangels may be largely influenced by the distance between the plants. It is absolutely necessary to secure sufficient width between the rows for the cultivation to be properly carried out during the growth of the crops, but there is much room for the exercise of discretion iu fixing upon the proper distance between the plants, which must be regulated by the nature of of the soil, whether rich or medium, A medium soil, Din will suffice for globes, while in rich soil the distances may be 12in or even 14in. If the seed has been tested (as all seeds should be) 31b per acre will suffice, ■own in drills 22 n apart. In concluding those remarks we would urge upon our agricultural friends not to neglect the sowing of a fair proportion of mangles, even if they hare to invest in a few hundredweights of superphosphate. The mangel has well been called the 11 root of plenty.” Sheep, horses, pigs, and dairy cows, and poultry thrive alike on them, particularly when they have been in clamp a few months, as they are then in their highest state of nutrition.