THE CULTURE OF MANGOLDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5461, 13 January 1896, Page 4

THE CULTURE OF MANGOLDS.

m {Mark lane Express.) Mons. P. P. Deherain, member of the French Academy of Sciences, contributes to' the Annales Agrohomiques an article upon the cultivation of forage-beet (mangold mirtzel). He experimented on five varieties, viz., the Globe, the Mammoth, the Tankard, the Collet Eose andtheVilmorin, He states that from the results of three years' experiments, it has been concluded that mangold is more sensible to climatic than to manurial influences. In 1892 roots which received manures did not give such a good yield as those which had been sustained by . the ploughing in' of a green crop; the season, however, was absolutely unf avourable, all the experimental plots bearing bad crops. Although mangold is very . sensitive to existent richness in' the soil, 'this, richness does not result in large returns, but direct manuring is necessary. In- 1892 M. Deherain tried the use of a lesser quantity of manure than was before used, ; and immediately the returns fell, although the roots' were planted upon .plots which had been previously enriched by copious application of manures. But if the existing richness is not sufficient to produce large returns when it is not sustained by recent manuring, it exercises a marked influence upon the crop. This was so in 1894, the Globe showing it more particularly than the other varieties; but this superiority was, perhaps, due to the plot upon which it was planted possessing exceptional fertility. One of the great advantages of cultivating'mangold, M. Deherain addsj is, that it succeeds upon ground enriched for several' years. He remembers that at the time when Mons. Porion and himself cultivated the fertile lands of Pas-deKCalais, Mons. Porion did not wish to sow mangold upon the land of Blaringhem, which gives magnificent wheat crops, as he did not consider- the land was in a suitable state, that is to say, had not acqxuredby frequent manuring the. richness which •would" produce great returns. : This obligation of .'great manuring for mangold, enriches the soil every time the crop returns, and communicates a fertility by which all succeeding crops profit. - It is also observedthatland well manured and dunged produces large quantities of nitrates, of which an important fraction" remains in the roots. In 1894, during a"dry autumn,' when atmndant waters had not washed the soil, this absorption of the nitrates was very considerable. It is well to remark that this absorption was not due to an exaggerated use of nitrates, only, f cwt per acre having been applied, and which was infinitely less than the quantity found in the mangolds themselves. What is the best variety of, mangold* to sow? and is -. there, one superior to all the others? are also" questions which M. Deherain touches upon. He made experiments for five years to ascertain this fact, and each year the classification varied. In 1890, 1891 and 1894 the Globe variety was classed first, it was only fourth in 1892, and second in 1893, but the crops were bad during these two , years. ; It appears from these studies that the Globe should be given the preference, but the Collet Eose, compares very f avoidably with it, for in 1894 that variety gave less dry matter, less sugar and less nitrogenous matter than the Globe, but it contained infinitely less nitrate. . "' In 1894 1 "there was a good crop of mangold, obtained by using manure, and also by ploughing in a leguminous crop, the average quantity of manure. being twelve tons to the acre. When no green manuring was practised, the application of dung was sixteen tons/ consequently the green crop saved four tons per acre, which amounts to a considerable profit. The quantity of dung replaced by the leguminous crop is much greater generally than it was in 1594, when the weight of herbage turned . in was considerably diminished through a late sowing.