Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-04-09

From measurements made Of several aver
aged-szod beets during their growth in the
summer oflS72, ascertained the probable
growth to be as follows iseed sown April
20): Date OF measurement, July l F.; proba-
BILE weight per acre, in tons, July l, II tons;
July Is, 81 tons; August ], IL tons Aug.
10, 16 tons Sept l, 2la tons Sept. 10, 81
tons; Oct. l, 391 tons. There is but little
growth in this climate after the first Of Octo-
Der.
Much Inconvenience, loss Of time and la
Dor is experienced through want Of good
seed. Seeds that have been grown well are
often injured or their vitality entirely de-
stroyed by ignorance or carclessness in gath
ering and preserving them. When care is
exercised in selecting the smoothest, most
symmetrical and perfect roots for seed, and
the practice continued for a succession Of
years, varieties will be greatly improved.
The newer the seed the better the crop. Old
seed if it does not fail to terminate, will
produce weaker plants than new seed. There
is no positive rule as to the time seeds will
retain their vitality. Much depends upon
the seed and how kept but find that beet
seed will keep from three to four, carrot
seed from two to three, and turnip seed from
Eve to six years.
One pound of beet seed contains about
1900 seeds. These seeds. though in APP
pearance but a single seed on opening, show
that they contain from one to five black kid
ney-shaped seeds thus what we call seed
will produce from one to five plants, averag-
ing at least two. If we sow in drills, 80
inches apart, one pound of seed will leave
one seed to each foot in the row four pounds
will leave four seeds, which number is not
too many, to provide against accidents to the
seed and plants. If planted in hills, Is
inches apart in the row, two seeds to each
hill, it will take ] pounds per acre.
In termination it is needful that the seed
should absorb water; until this is done no
signs of sproutng are manifested, and iffrom
too shallow covering of soil half-sprouted
seed be allowed to dry, the process ofgrowth
is effectually checked. Beet seed germi-
mates in less moisture than carrot seed and
requires more than turnip seed. General
rules with regard to the depth to which seed
should be sown cannot be laid down, but
with few exceptions beet seed should be
sown at a depth of not less than one inch
and not more than three inches. There may
be circumstances under which much less OF
more is essential. In heavy, moist sol
the seed will terminate in one-fourth inch o
soil. Iu light and porous soil they may
be planted four or five inches deep without
detriment.
As general rule it is safest and best fol-
all soils and seasons to SOW or plant dry
seeds. In 1872 l planted soaked and dry
seeds at different periods, with the following
results Planted April %, soaked seeC
came up in 8 days; dry seed in IL days
average temperature, 70o May 3, soaked
seed, came up in ~ days; dry seed in l;
days; temperature 6So May IL, soakec
seed came up in 8 days; dry seed in l,
days; temperature 1872. In these trial
an equal number of plants came up from tn
same number of soaked or dry seeds. Tn
soil was moist. At trials made later, Ma,
%, June 5, and June IA, there was abou
the same difference in the time of the plant
appearing but less number of plants cam
up from the soaked Seed. At these late
periods of sowing, rains were less frequen
and the soil dried quicker and deeper afte
rains. In each instance the seed was soaket
in milk-warm water for "a hours. Bee
seed will terminate in temperature as Low
as 429 and as high as 10. Temperature
of most rapid termination is 90o. l woulc
not advise soaking seed, but when it is don
roll in plaster of Paris before sowiDg.-Hon
Henry Lane, Of Cornwall, an NetO YorJ
Tribune.
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