Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-02-07
How to Grow Sugar Bee,s.

In the first place, select suitable piece
of ground--a low, mellow, and loamy
corner of your last years corn-feld would
do firstrate, provided the ground is not
sodden with water. Sugar beets want
moisture, and great deal, but not too
much. The soil must also be friable, and
the deeper the better. Having such a
piece selected, plow ii up the first chance
you can get; take your time when at it
aud plow deep-at least one foot, and as
much more as possible. Unless it is in
very good heart, spread on thick coat
ing of barnyard manure or muck com.
post, and let Jack Frost and the rain and
snow dissolve and mix it all through the
soil for you, better than you could do 1t
yourself, and free of expense. After you
are through planting corn next spring, turn
in and get your beet patch ready. Plow
it again, good and deep; this will mix the
sour subsoil, first turned up, all through
the good soil then it will not damage
your crop. Harrow the ground very
thoroughly; furrow out two and half
feet apart; fill the furrows with a compost
that you set to work making as soon as
you read this, and which will be IN iust
the right condition when wanted for use;
fill the burrows level full, then turn two
furrows tone each side) over on the ma
nure, making ridge, and making it
pretty high.
| Next 60 along with 6 hand rake, and
smooth off the tops of the ridge-being
sure to keep it straight, Get a seed sower
and plant your seed, not too thick. 1t is q
common fault to SOW too much beet seed;
the beets must stand five or six inches
apart, finally. You can try your sower
and regulate it on board, to sow about
twice this amount then, when the plants
are up about two or three inches high, so
that you can see the rows plainly, give
them a good and unsparing thinning
out.
[ NAV as well remark here, for the ben
eft of those who have never raised a crop
of sugar beets, that they are very quick
growers when young, and being of yell
| lowish green, are Immediately distin-
guished from all weeds. They are moth
ing like carrots. Carrots are grand for
feed, but they need to be tenderly nursed
times the bother, and yield only one half
the crop that beets do. You have no
trouble hunting to find the row in beets.
They are hardy, and if covered up will
almost grow out in the night; that is more
than my experience will bear in carrots.
Your beets thinned out and growing
nicely, go through them with hand pillow
(if you have one) while they are still very
small, blowing from the row; in a few
days plow to them. This can be done
before it is advisable to begin with a
horse, and then you get the start of the
few weeds that survive your winter plow
ing and the preparation of the ground
AS they grow larger, plow deeper, and in
case of drouth run the cultivator through
often, lust skimming off the crust; it vii
let the moisture in the soil at night anC
much increase the crop; and now you are
} ready to harvest the crop. 1t is best tC
pull them out, as they then come clean
without any dirt; they pun easily, as they
grow half out of the ground; boy
can readily pull them. If you have tot
many to pull, go through with sharl
J hoe and cut the tops of, pick them NJ
out of the way, and save to feed to tn
: cows; then take a team and plow, turI
one furrow away from each row and thel
throw them out; have them picked VI
: and thrown in heaps to dry, then pu
: away for the winter and keep in darl
place.
Ifyou follow these simple dire ction
: YOU will not be disappointed at harvest
} for when you 60 to gather the crop yo
8 will find it in abundance. You may, b
} this method, count on five hundre
: bushels to the acre-and more, II Tn
3 season is good; besides, your soil is a
s the time improving. In France, wheI
=, beets are raised by the thousand acres fo
8 sugar, the country has improved so muc
y that it is estimated that the soil is four
five times as productive, and the catt
fed on the refuse pulp from the presse
8 number hundreds for one formerly.
f short, beet-raising has completely trau
e formed the country.
f Just make up your mind to raise
g patch of white sugar beets next year.
/. you raise them once you will raise the
Il always. You will find your cattle sliC
# snd thrifty; your daily profits greater; yc
e can keep double the stock; your, compo
a heap win be increased your land II
}. proved, and you be made better of
1t many ways by the sugar beet.-"PTdc
% caL,"in Rural Nel0 Yorker.