HOW TO GROW MANGELS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1199, 22 February 1895, Page 6

HOW TO GROW MANGELS.

Since dairying has become popular throughout the country, says "Thistledown" in the Australasian, more attention is now being devoted to the growing of root crops. The farmer without „a patch of mangels for his cows is considered a trifle behind the times. The mangel is relished by every class of stock, but it is almost indispensable for cows. The crop is of such value that every care should be given to its production, The mangel likes a deep soil of moderately stiff textnre, and one which by cultivation has been reduced to the finest possible powder. Plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure should be applied, from twenty to thirty tons to the acre; when fresh manure is used, the straw keeps the ground too open, and, in consequence, the crop is liable to suffer from drought. The seeds are small, and the young plant very delicate; hence it has not that capacity for growing in -spite of all obstacles that is possessed by the more-robust crops of the farm, although later on it is strong

enough. It is a good plan to grow a bed of mangels in the garden on a carefully prepared plot, in order that plants may be produced for transplanting and filling up gaps. It is generally believed that mangels will not bear transplanting with success, but the practice is very common, and there are some who raise the whole of their mangel crop from transplanted plants grown for the purpose instead of drilling the seed. Stil! there is no question about the fact that mangels grown from seed are invariably finer than those produced from transplanted plants. The real secret in growing heavy crops of mangels consists in liberal manuring, good cultivation, and keeping down the weeds. It is much better to grow a small area in the very best possible manner than to attempt to grow a large one with halt the manure and with inferior cultivation. If mangels are worth growing at all they are worth growing as well as time and money can make them. Otherwise they are better left alone, for an unsuccessful crop of mangels is extremely disappointing and costly.