APPENDIX.

[Fleuron]

Workington Hall, Cumberland,March 9, 1814.

Workington Hall, Cumberland,

March 9, 1814.

Sir,

I had the pleasure of receiving your obliging favour last night, with two copies of the publication on Mangel Wurzel. I have cultivated that root for some years with success. From the Bishop of Derry I learnt to apply the leaves to soiling my milch cows and pigs. The leaves of a good crop are from 10 to 15 tons per acre. I havesteeped the seed and mixed it with sand previous to sowing, by which means it vegetates immediately. I have had 60 tons per acre on 3 feet stiches, 9 inches between the plants, and have kept the roots good till the middle of May. I have given the seed to many of my cottagers, who have grown the roots for their pigs, and they have found them to answer well.

I am, &c.J. C. Curwen.

I am, &c.

J. C. Curwen.

Barrowby, Lincolnshire,December 15, 1814.

Barrowby, Lincolnshire,

December 15, 1814.

Sir,

For the last four winters I have constantly fed my milch cows with Beet, but I never exceeded, I believe, a bushel per day to each; not from any apprehension of ill effects when given in larger quantities. My object was, to make it last the longer, as the milk and cream were evidently much improved thereby. The cows always had plenty of hay with the Beet, and when the weather, or rather the state of theland would admit, they were turned into a grass field adjoining my farm yard.

Mr. Turney, of Sedgbrook, who has finished off some bullocks this Autumn, whilst at grass, with Beet, has given it with great good effect to his milch cows for the last two winters, and he is at this time keeping a new-calved heifer upon it.

I may add, that I have always found the milk to be increased in quantity, as well as improved in quality, whilst the Beet was used.

As to the weight of my crop, this year, it is much less than usual. My land, you know, is old garden ground, and produced a crop of Beet last year, Swedes the year before, and carrots in 1811. A tenacious loam, on clay, difficult to work in the Spring. On this I got only 7 cwt. 2 qrs. on 6 yards by 10, which is after the rate of 30 tons per acre.

I am, &c.Jonathan Kendal.

I am, &c.

Jonathan Kendal.

Stag Brewhouse,December 18, 1814.

Stag Brewhouse,

December 18, 1814.

Sir,

Herewith you receive my report of a small piece of land, planted with Mangel Wurzel by Colonel Elliott. I have been as correct as possible, and have to observe, that I think the culture of it well worth the attention of every farmer.

The latter end of April, 1814, ten poles of land were sown with Mangel Wurzel, 20 inches distance, in drills; the plants in the row thinned to about 15 inches. The land poor, consistingprincipally of brick rubbish and road scrapings, with a slight coat ofrotten dungprevious to the sowing. It had two hoeings after the plants were thinned. The plants in two of the rows, about the centre of the piece, were set out 2 feet apart, but these were not larger than where they were at 15 inches.

On the 8th of November the whole crop was taken up, and, after cutting off the heads, were packed up in a loft. To prevent any incorrectness in calculating the weight by the number of the roots, the whole crop was weighed, which amounted to 3 tons, 1 cwt. 56pounds, which is according to the rate of 49 tons 4 cwt. per acre. A large portion of the roots weighed from 7 lbs. to 12 lbs. each. When the rows were first thinned, some other pieces were planted with the spare plants, but these did not succeed so well: they were much less than the others.

Hogs are remarkably fond of this root, and thrive very fast with it: cows are also very eager after both leaves and root. Colonel Elliott began feeding his cows with the Mangel Wurzel in July; the weather being very dry, we were very short of grass. We began with the leaves, and soon after with theroots of two pieces, which were transplanted. The cows looked well and increased in their milk, and were partially fed with the roots till the crop was taken up. The roots were then sliced, and as much of them given to the cows (with a little hay) as they could eat; the milk increased immediately, and the cows improved in flesh.

My opinion is, that the Mangel Wurzel is a most valuable article of food to the farmer; because, in a severe winter, when turnips are in general destroyed, these roots, properly stacked in a dry place, and covered so as to prevent severe frosts from injuringthem, will be a certain supply of nutricious and fattening food, (if cultivated in sufficient quantity) until the spring grass is fit to turn in upon. I should conceive, if the seed is put into the ground in the month of May, after the manner practised in drilling turnips on ridges, that no doubt can be entertained of obtaining a full crop. As Mangel Wurzel exceeds all other winter food, from being preserved under cover without injuring the quality, so it will prevent a recurrence to the expensive food of oil cake or corn.

I am, &c.G. T. Boult.

I am, &c.

G. T. Boult.

Kentish Town,December 29, 1814.

Kentish Town,

December 29, 1814.

Sir,

Having presented one of your books to Mr. Richard Laycock, a considerable farmer and cowkeeper at Holloway, with a request that he would cultivate the root, he did me the favour to make choice of a piece of land, containing 1 rood and 20 perches, which had been part of a field, composed of brick earth or strong clay, in the procurement of which, the field had for several years past been dugover to a great depth below the original surface. On this piece he caused a quantity of soil and rotten dung intermixed therewith to be laid, and the ground levelled, about 10 or 12 inches deep. In the month of May he commenced dibbling the seed in rows 2 feet asunder, and 1 foot apart in the rows; but, for want of time, only about one third part of the crop was got in by this mode. The remainder was transplanted in the middle of June. The whole of the land was kept perfectly clean, and, while confined to the upper soil, the plants made rapid progress. Had the subsoil been of a yielding nature, the crop would have beenextraordinary; but it was observable, although the tap roots were particularly vigorous, that so soon as they had penetrated to the unbroken clay, they invariably divided and turned off in a horizontal direction, and afterwards threw out fibrous shoots without number. The seed was procured from a nurseryman at Fulham, and was particularly good. Very few of the plants ran up to seed; those that did so, were not suffered to remain, but were taken up and given to the cows, as were also the lower leaves, which were repeatedly stripped off in considerable quantities. In the middle of November the whole crop was drawn off and weighed, afterbeing cleared of the tops and loose dirt. The produce was 15 tons and a few pounds over, average weight of the roots, 5¾ pounds. Correspondent produce 40 tons per acre.

Although this experiment on Mr. Laycock’s land falls short of those stated in your Treatise, yet, when the extreme unfavourableness of its situation is considered, that of an exhausted brickfield, the deficiency is easily accounted for. Indeed I cannot help thinking its result such, as to hold out considerable temptation to occupiers of strong clay farms, whereon turnips cannot successfully be cultivated, tomake trial of a root, which, with previous winter plowing, promises more profit than can be obtained from any other crop that I know of[1]. The increase of live stock and radical improvements of such farms must necessarily follow.

I am, &c.Peter Potter.

I am, &c.

Peter Potter.

1. This description of soil in some seasons is too wet to warrant the removal of a crop of Mangel Wurzel in November. When grown on such soils to be used early in the winter, the crop may be taken up in October; if intended for use in the cold spring months it may remain, with perfect safety, till the ground is sufficiently dry to prevent harm being done by the wheels of carts and the trampling of horses.—Editor.

Lincroft House, Lichfield.December 13, 1814.

Lincroft House, Lichfield.

December 13, 1814.

Sir,

I have for your information weighed and taken a pretty accurate account of my small crop of Mangel Wurzel, which I have lately gathered out of a garden belonging to my farm. The length of the garden is 62 yards; and the breadth of the part sown 12 yards, and the produce, according to my firm belief and best calculation, is 4 tons, 6 cwt. 40 pounds, and I am well convinced in my own mind, thathad I properly attended to the culture of this root, I might have obtained a much greater produce, even in that space of ground; for, you will observe, I have not strictly adhered to the plan laid down in your little publication. In the first instance, the ground was very foul at the time of sowing, and the plants, when growing, were about 18 inches apart one way, and nearly one yard the other; there being only 13 rows in the space of 12 yards, and the garden too surrounded with trees, so that I consider every thing was unfavourable. I further beg leave to state as my opinion, that as the ground is very strong, it is not well adapted tothe growth of Beet, and as most of the roots were transplanted, they had not a fair chance.

Transplanted roots are seldom so good as those which have not been removed. I have given Beet Root, for two years past, both to feeding and milch cows with good effect.

I am &c.J. Padmore.

I am &c.

J. Padmore.

Wheston, Tideswell,December 16, 1814.

Wheston, Tideswell,

December 16, 1814.

Sir,

My Beet Root this year was sown upon light dry limestone land, of good quality, perfectly clean, but in a high situation and cold climate. The seed was partly sown in beds a yard and a half in width, partly drilled, and partly dibbled in ridges at the distance of 28 inches, and the plants left 12 inches apart after hoeing. The rows drilled came up much the best, and continued altogether the finest plants. They were thinned and hoed early.The dibbled seed missed in a great number of places[2]; the vacancies were supplied from the drilled rows, transplanted at different ages, and at different times of the year, (as the season suited for the purpose,) but none of them grew in size or luxuriance[2]equal to those left standing in the drilled rows. In the beds the plants were extremely numerous, but they had not the same advantages of being thinned and hoed so early as the drilled rows, and they were in general small in size.

2. Probably planted too deep.—Editor.

I had a most productive supply of green food to the fold yard, during themonths of September and October, from the tops, and during the latter month many of the plants which had run to seed, were also taken up and consumed in the same way. They were given to milch cows morning and evening, during milking time, and to store pigs in the fold yard.

The produce on 6 yards by 10 was 206 roots in number, and 477 pounds in weight, to which may be added about one-tenth more for plants consumed before the crop was taken up.

I think the Beet Root affords a very material increase to the stock of green food, of the best quality in the Autumn.months, and, when grown near enough to the farm yard to be taken daily as wanted, without too great an expence in labour and carriage, that mode of consuming the leaves and some of the roots may be resorted to with great advantage, and it may be found a resource of no small use in dry seasons.

Cattle in general eat both the root and top with eagerness. Pigs prefer them to any other vegetable food. I have occasionally given the roots in winter to horses, and particularly to brood mares and to foals, with hay, and they have invariably done well.

I am, &c.John Shaw.

I am, &c.

John Shaw.

These and many other letters have been received by the author from gentlemen residing in different parts of the kingdom, recommending, from their own experience and success, the culture of the improved Beet Root, to those farmers who have yet to learn its value. In so doing, they are not actuated by any sordid motive or selfish principle. To do good to others is their aim, and to promote the public welfare the utmost of their ambition.

FINIS.

J. Swan, Printer, 76, Fleet Street, London.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTESTypographical errors fixed; non-standard spelling and dialect retained.Used numbers for footnotes.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

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