The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-04-18
THE SUGAR BEET N NORTH
CAROLINA
Review OF Recent Experiments.
~ PROF. W. Z. PHILLIPS.


: AtNeAIaN = A4E&AaA 49,. %
blowing. the turning TIP of tie sub
sol and by chemical means i, meant
the %manuring IF the sub-saiI.
Every farmer knows how 10 employ
the mechanical means. How shall he
employ the chemical means What
anu shall he use, and how ought
he to employ il:
DR.. Ledoux. backeibs Or. ~S;anener.
proceeds TO speak 81
MANURE q.
> Manuring should al vavs first 81
all give back To the ground what the
harvest has removed from ii. and not
only the mineral inorganic constitu-
ents. but also the nitrogen. Nothing
is surer than that a soil t. which a full
return OF plant fOod is not made, loses
by degrees its power 10 produce tie
crop required in normal quantity and
composition. Tie experimental Guilt
walton OF the beet witt artificiallv
prepared fertilizing liquids has been
much less pursued than with other
plants. and therefore the relation be-
tween the composition Of these liquids
and the development Of the beet IS not
ct uSlcI GIlIIltd. ht lGtA alSO llic bd>tS
upon which TO predicate the direct ac-
ton of upon the beet. Here
lies the difficulty. above indicated, of
applying the material substances to
that layer of the soil whence the beet
principally derives its nourishment.
Hence in the present state of our
knowledge and Of our fertilizers, the
object OF our fertilization can be
nothing more than the retaining III
condition of soil which is already suit
able for beet culture.
After the above remarks it wlilnOt
be thought astonishing when We say
that all the laborious and painstaking
experiments with the manuring and
culture of beets have as yet gwen no
results uniform and everywhere appil-
cable. Such results we can only *
pect from "A study Of those laws which
may be deduced from the artificial
cultivation Of the beet IN special IL
guilds.
And vet it is in no contradiction of
these facts when we advise the beet
c~ulturist to keep up constant expert
n1ents with fertilizers upon different
soils. 1t is in such cases only necessary
to determine the particular form and
quantity of manure which under the
DtCJilIdI ~ ~ 49,
returns. And in many cases some par
ticular form of manure will prove the
best. but the power to produce a safe
and in~variable influence upon the crop
will ONLY seldom be attained. The effect
of those factors over which we have no
power. climate and weather, are of
infinitely greater Influence than the
small alterations which we can pro-
duce by the augmentation. deterIora-
ton, or maintenance of good condition
of soil within the circumscribed limits
of artificial fertilization"
"Expcrience has taught that those
beets which are raised upon fields
MANFRED with fresh especially stable
manure-are less suited for manufac-
turing purposes. On this account the
rule has long been established That the
manure should not be applied directly
to the beets. but to some other pre-.
vious crop, or. that bects should be
Gu. tivated as II SECOND or thlrd iii a
series of rotation.
This rule is especially applicable to
stable manure, and that from cess
pools less SO to the so-called "artifi-
cial fertilizers which. when they are
not employed directly ii too great
quantities, are followed by fewer in
furious effects.
The principal constituents which
must be taken into account in reckon
ing the addition to and removal of
plant food from the soil by beets, are
potash, phosphoric acid, magnesia and
nitrogen. As the amount harvested
differs with the soil and other clrcum-
stances. we will therefore employ for
our calculations following. the mean
proportion of these four substances
present in 1000 lbs. OF beets and beet
tops. as determined by analysis
1000 lbs of