Mangolds

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 September 1915, Page 3

Mangolds

{iiy "Agrieola. ) This crop requires much sunlight loi development and as it ai»o reiiuires nioistuic it is quite evident that a very line tilth is necessary wiien preparing the seed bed. Ihe food value oi mangolds against Mvcdes is set down by experts at 10U against 07, t>o we at oiice notice that inclusive of tlte extra yield ol mangolds per acre coupled with the extra food value, one acre of them is equal to a couple of acres oi swedeo. 'Ihis crop ohoiilil be sown in drillo about "Jt't apart ami the plants thinned out to «or U in. Often this crop, like turnips, is sown with a ridger and if ihe variety be round or even long, ami tin; soil at all shallow the ridger is to be recommended. Where sneep are tetl upon a crop 1 think ridger sowing k splendid. Aα 1 have previously stated, much labour is necessary to thoroughly cultivate this crop. riowever, <ts soon us practicable the young planus should be thinned and the cultivator operated between the rows. 1 iiave known farmers pay lUs per day to men to weed this variety of crop, so it can be seen how the value of its utility can be lost. Of course there are farmer* ,with a family and though the children's labour is not valued yet there are many kinds of jobs that a boy or girl can do as effectively as a highly-paid man—weeding carrot* and mangolds is one of them, so if you have a family about the age of fifteen and decide oil a, couple of acres to grow some good forage lor winter and spring feed sow either mangolds ->r carrots about -November, and by iho time the summer holidays arrive .he crops will be right to promise the youngsters some beanfeast or other when the work is finished. If this is done tsome incentive is £ivcu, to plud along. 1 have transplanted young mangolds, but an the roots get broken and twisited the result is not worth the ground and labour used. Mangolds require to be well supplied with u forcing manure aud according to the State .Farm returns, btusic, t>upur aud sulphate of potash form the principal manures. You may remember a little way back 1 mentioned guano, well this manure with, potash stood hear tho lead at tJjLoJStuto Earm, quantities per acre beiirg r guano -lcwts, sulphate yf potash, about 70 to lOOlbs. Another buccefeeful manure is basic slag 2«wte., bone dust 2cwtt>, and about the above amount of potash. The crop can be planted in October till about the middle of November, or perhaps oven to a little later; but remember this crop requires much care and labour. It is «is well always to have the rows sullicicntly apart to enable the horse Hoe to be operated. This> implement should find a place on every farm, as it soon repays the JC3 odd in outlay as purchase money.