FEEDING VALUE OF MANGOLDS

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 118, 16 May 1912, Page 6

FEEDING VALUE OF MANGOLDS

The cultivation of mangolds as a stock food, is now entering largely into farmers' calculations, and increasing areas are being cultivated yearly, as more becomes known of the productive capacity of the plant amd the high feeding value of the matured roots. There has, however, been considerable misconception regarding the actual food value per acre owing to the fact that the weight rather than the substance has been given first con r side ration. Some years ago Professor Middle-ton conducted a series of experiments at Cambridge on the question of the relative values of different kinds of mangolds. His sue-

oessor has continued these tests, and now reports results. The method of comparison was ,noti to take* tibe ■weights of the crops per acre as the guide, but to calculate out the amount of feeding material yielded' per acre, for it was found that a crop might yield five tons r>er acre more roots than another alongside it,' and. yet be of less value-for food. It was found that the Long R-ed came out bes^; every time: it yielded 20 per cent, 'more dry food than any nf the •others. As comrwred with Yellow Globes they wrrv 10 per cent, better weight for weight, and as compared with Golden Tankard they were equal, but a greater erorv perlicre was yielded by tV> Long- Reds, whirh accounts for the fin pi superiority of these. Tb© Long Red—or its relative, the Red Intermediate—is much Juicier than the. others, and it has "Tieen noticed that when she«r> m- cat-' tie have access to different kinds fr^.v prefer th»se. The ~reat trouble ■™-ith the T'OTi? R,nr| t S ays Processor Primrose McConnell: is the fa n*"" that Its' roots are great fangs, which are

circuit to pull up it 'the first place, and; require a lot of cleaning afterwards to free them of the adhering earth before pulping. The old plan of going to the expense of keeping boys for cleaning mangolds is of no use nowadays, and a machine for,the! pu/pose is | expensive. It is for-this reason that, the Long Red mangold is] not more grown, and there is a tendency to use other Tankards—especially the Red Intermediate. It would be interesting to -know if color has,, anything to do with quality; there! are red, yellow, and white fleshed roots, and th© reds seem always to be the best for feeding;