the subject of the present discussion; the leaves withered and the root ceased to increase in bulk; and with regard to such plants, a premature winter, not indeed, as in common winters produced by a deficiency of warmth, but by a deficiency of moisture, took place, and vegetable life, at least vegetable energy, was suspended. At length the rain descended, and the season being still sufficiently warm to allow of vegetable action, a renewed effort took place in these plants, but it was not a continuance of the summer process; as the late period of suspended action resembled winter, the returning action resembled that of spring, and the same effect was produced in the mangel wurzel as takes place in all biennials upon the approach of a real spring: there was no increase in the bulk of the root, and of course the roots of this year were observed to be smaller than usual; there was no additional growth in the originally formed leaves, but there was an effort to produce a flowering stem, the usual spring effort of all biennials, and which would have been effected had an adequate temperature continued. The first part of the process necessary for this purpose was, however, accomplished: the numerous fibrous roots which strike into the earth from the main root, obviously to draw nourishment from the earth, and perhaps, also, more steadily to fix in the ground the base of a future towering stem, were completely formed, and as happens to other biennials, particularly the Swedish turnip, if suffered to remain in the ground too late in the spring, they were taken up with more difficulty, and brought up with them a more than ordinary quantity of soil adhering to them.

be as

"This was the case with my whole crop, and, it may sumed, was the same with Mr. Coke's, and with all other crops; indeed, under similar circumstances, it is unlikely it should have been otherwise.

"It remains, therefore, to enquire whether such a quantity of earth as was probably admitted into the stomach, might not have been injurious to the animal. And this, obviously, appears most likely to be the case in a ruminating animal. Animals of this class, as cows, sheep, deer, goats, &c., live wholly on vegetable food, and are not only delicate in their selection of it, being what are called clean feeders, but they do not admit it into their digesting stomach, until it has undergone a more than ordinary kind of mastication, peculiar to themselves. The admixture, with their food, of such an unmasticable substance as earth, may, in the first instance, impede the process of rumination, and if conveyed into the stomach, may also interfere with the further more important and final process of digestion; and,

moreover, if we subsequently trace it into the intestines, it may be supposed, in different ways, to be injurious, either by irritating or obstructing the canal itself, by preventing the due admission into the intestines of the requisite fluids, or by blocking up the mouths of those vessels whose office it is to absorb the nutritive part of the food and convey it into the circulation.

"That the injury sustained by Mr. Coke's cow was induced in some such way, or even that it might have been occasioned by the admission into the stomach of too large a quantity of fermentable food, which a saccharine vegetable most obviously is, from which, as from green clover much air is suddenly evolved, is surely more probable than that it was produced by any noxious quality in the mangel wurzel: for did there really reside so deadly a poison in this root, it is extraordinary that such an accident should not have happened in former years, and that the instances of fatality from it should not have been more general. Chemical analysis is, indeed little able to detect vegetable poisons, but chemical analysis has sufficiently proved that this root abounds principally with nutritive matter, with mucilage and sugar, both which, and particularly the latter, it is known, are well adapted to support and fatten cattle.”

January 23.-Mr. Benjamin Holditch (of Thorney) suggests a remedy for the disease in cows, which he thinks was occasioned by the improvident and imprudent use of mangel wurzel. This disease, he contends, is not uncommon to cattle in the autumn when feeding on lattermath or eddish. It attacks the lacteals; and whatever dries up the milk promotes the curegive lb. of pounded rosin, with 2 oz. of saltpetre, in a quart of warm beer, every other day, and let the food be dry corn and hay. If the paps are inflamed and swelled, let them be lanced, and the udder well rubbed with the following liniment:Train oil 1 pint; spirit of turpentine pint; oil of vitriol 2 oz. by measure. Mix the oil with the turpentine in a deep glazed earthen jar, adding the vitriol by degrees, stirring it all the time; when cool, bottle it for use. This liniment should be kept by every farmer for bruises and green wounds in cattle and horses.

March 13.-Mr. Sibson (of Canonby) gives an account of the culture and use of mangel wurzel in Cumberland. Analysis of the root by Mr. Kelly:-"Sugar 50 grains,* mucilage 22,

*This is only 5 per cent of sugar, but the mangel wurzel in reality contains 8 per cent, if my friend, Mr. P. Taylor, is correct.

starch 2, extract 6, woody fibre 35, and water 885 grains. Total 1000 grains."

Hence it is plain mangel wurzel contains nothing deleterious. The quantity given to a cow in Ireland has been from 25 lbs. to 112 lbs. daily.

March 27.-The editor states that the cultivation of mangel wurzel near London is evidently on the increase, and instances the crops of Mr. Laycock, of Holloway, Mr. Heaton and Mr. Martin, near Rumford, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Phillips, jun., &c. &c.

April 3.-An anonymous correspondent is of opinion that the injury done to the cows of Mr. Coke and others, arose from giving the mangel wurzel root in November, as soon as it was taken out of the ground; whereas it should have been stored till April or May. The root, too, should not be given alone, but in small quantities, three times a day, and their fill of hay between each time of feeding.

May 8.-A letter from Mr. L. Phillips, jun., stating that he had lost a great deal of mangel wurzel seed, after sowing, by rooks, and cautions farmers against them.

From this time little was heard of mangel wurzel for several months; but in the Agricultural Report for Norfolk (in the paper for Sept. 11) it is hinted at as probable that, owing to the increased, and apparently increasing difficulty of raising Swedish turnips, mangel wurzel will be more extensively grown in after years.

October 9.-Mr. W. Glover, of Schoose Farm, in answer to a correspondent, states the management of mangel wurzel as pursued by him. Leaves cut in August; again in October, if the season be favourable. The roots should not be left in the ground longer than November. They will keep in stacks from four to six feet wide, piled to a point, and then covered with straw and earth. Should not be used till April and May. About two stone given at one time, repeated thrice a day, with steamed chaff between; better for fat cattle than the dairy. Mr. Curwen has eight acres transplanted; a tolerable crop.

October 16.-The mangel wurzel crops on the Grange, near Rumford, described. About ten acres this year in three fields; the first crop sown the latter end of March. Many of the roots measure 15 inches above the ground, and 2 feet in circumference. The second crop sown in the middle of April. The third crop sown at the same time, and is a good crop. Has sown mangel wurzel many years, but never pulls the leaves, conceiving, that unless they are full of juice, they do cattle no

NEW SERIES, VOL. I, NO. II.

U

good, and if taken off in that state, they do the roots much harm. Doubts, also, whether, under any circumstances, they would pay the expence of pulling and carting home.

October 30.-Mr. L. Phillips, jun., of Portsmouth-road, Vauxhall, details the process adopted by him of sowing, stacking, &c., his mangel wurzel crop. His first crop was devoured (in the seed) by small birds, mostly chaffinches and greenfinches; resown middle of May. Crop heavier than last year, when it was at the rate of 85 tons 1 cwt. 2 qrs. an acre.' Stacks the roots on the level ground; bottom tier four feet wide; stack same height; root end outwards; cover the heap with dry litter, then dig a ditch all round, at a foot from the base of the heap, laying the earth on the litter a foot thick. Never met with one case where cattle have been injured by the use of it.

December 18.-In the account of the Smithfield Cattle Show, it is said that Mr. Gibbs showed several specimens of some pink and very large white mangel wurzel roots, 40 lbs. weight; and Mr. Phillips, jun., attended with specimens of the same, from a crop of 96 tons an acre, grown by him at Vauxhall.

1816.

February 5.-"A Constant Reader" recommends to the perusal of farmers a Treatise on the Cultivation of the Mangel Wurzel Plant, by E. Rigby, Esq., M.D., of Norwich, and hopes that Mr. Coke will, from the personal appeal to him therein made, be induced to give it another trial.

February 19.-Mr. Thomas Herod, of Burnham, Norfolk, grew four acres this year, averaging 60 tons an acre. Kept four cows on the tops for sixteen weeks. Thinks the mangel wurzel abounds more in saccharine matter than Swedish turnips, as some of the former were eaten nearly through by hares, whilst the latter, growing near them, were untouched.

March 11.-At Lord Somerville's spring show of cattle, Mr. Layton Cooke, and Mr. Gibbs, showed specimens of mangel wurzel roots (some 44 lbs).

April 8.-An account of the culture of beet-root in France, the substance of which having already appeared in the former pages of this work, it is needless to repeat here.

April 22.-George Turnbull, gardener and planter to John Heaton, Esq., of Bedfords, near Romford, states the amount of a crop grown by him at the above place. The chief object of this experiment was to ascertain whether any injury, and to

what amount, would arise from stripping the leaves from the plants whilst growing, for which purpose equal quantities of ground were measured off, on one of which the plants were twice stripped; on the other they were left untouched.

The crop was taken up on the 6th of November, and weighed as follows:

Tons. Cwt. Lbs.

The 1st tops, stripped in July....9 14 52

The plants, whose leaves were untouched till November, weighed

Tops in November...

Roots

...

Tops and roots together per acre..75 4 72

"The difference per acre in favour of the roots untouched being 12 tons 11 cwt. 48 lbs. The leaves might have been taken off more than once [during their growth], but the roots were so visibly injured by the first cutting, that a second was unnecessary to ascertain the fact, that taking off the leaves does impede the growth of the plant.

The following result, obtained from transplanting, I own astonishes me; and I cannot think but there must have been some error in the account :

"Transplanted Crop.-On the 13th June, the plants were carefully planted from the thinnings of the former ones, in rows 18 inches by 12. They weighed in November