MANGOLDS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7869, 3 August 1911, Page 2

MANGOLDS

BEST VARIETIES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. Mr J. Balsillie, of Palmerston North, gav<? an interesting address at a meeting of Marton branch of Farmers’ Union on Saturday. The subject of the address was mangolds, an ancient plant, he said, dating back to tho Greeks, but was not introduced among British people till 178 G. About the beginning of the century it was used as a plant from which to extract sugar, but sugar beet bus proved to yield so much higher percentage of sugar that nowadays beet Is grown as roots for sugar, it is admirably adapted for the X-ew Zealand climate, but it is not grown extensively as it Involves enormous expenditure as regards labour, and in tho Dominion where labour is high mangolds work up to a heavy charge-breaker. There were few farmers who did not grow a patch of mangolds as a standby lor winter. The enormous wields and the good keeping qualities of tho mangold root- argued m favour of its being grown more extensively. Pally forty different varieties are known to botanists, but of these about ten arc cultivated. Three of these he mentioned as being most productive — Yellow Globe, Sutton’s Prize Winner and Golden Tankard. The first can he grown in medium soils, and is a highly nutritious root with dense white flesh and a high percentage of sugar compared with other varieties. It has the advantage of being easily lifted as it does not root Sutton's Prize Winner is a rapid growing root, and is one of tho heaviest yielding globe mangolds on the market and on the whole most suitable for this district. The Golden Tankard takes a very high place in nutritive value. Its keeping qualities are tho best, with yellow sweet flesh, it is palatable to stock. It requires to bo sown earlier to get full value. Tho Red Globe variety was not grown so extensively, but was suitable for damp districts. The Long Red is a most useful mangold for deep alluvial or peaty Foils, but is not adapted for dry and more shallow soils. It is the heaviest cropper in existence yielding over 100 tons per acre, but the feeding value is lower weight for weight. Climate mangolds stand drought bettor than any other root. It is not suited to moist cold climates, and a wet summer is not favourable for its best development- In such climates tho turnip is preferred* Cultivation for mangolds must bo deep and farm yard manure should be spread on tho land before deep ploughing. In spring it is unnecessary to plough as tho use of tho cultivator is bettor. It was essential to get a fine and deep tilth. Mangolds can be sown on flat or on drills. In a dry summer climate sowing on flat i-s the best. The time for sowing is determined by the period of the year—when free from spring frost. FOOD REQ TJ ] REM ENTS. Mr Balsillie quoted fully from Rothamstead's experiments, showing that tho mangold is entirely dependent for nitrogen supplied in soil and in manure. It was pointed out that the crop ‘ is increased with each application of nitrogen up to 180ibs per acre, provided ample mineral food be present. An abundant supply of potash is essential to tho proper development of mangolds. Nitrate of soda, as u source of nitrogen, is better for cropping than sulphate of ammonia. Farm yard manure is one of the most beneficial forms-of manure for mangolds, but it should be supplemented with sol*c active nitrogen manure, such as nitrate of soda. Farm yard manure should also be supplemented with potash. Suporphospato added to farm yard manure was without effect. To make up a mixture suitable for mangolds one requires to add potash to most manures on the market and frequently salt should bo added. A good manure fojr mangolds was proposed as follows :—2cwt nitrate of soda, lewt superphosphate, lewt bonedust, 3£cwt kainitc and lewt common salt. Mr Balsillie recommends the use of this mixture from y to scwt per acre. On tho question of feeding stock with mangolds it was urged that this should not bo done in excess, especially with horned stock. —"Rangitikci Advocate."