Smyrna times., 1879-04-16
Gge smprna Gimcs.
Smyrna, DeI.,
Wednesday Afternoon, April is.
H.I2'IcuIIlI1'UI.
Directions of the Delaware Beet Sugar
Company.
HOW TO GROW SUGAR BEETs.

AS the introduction of the Beet Sugar
Industry depends mainly on growing berts
containing pure juice rich in sugar, and
to do this they should he raised IN the same
Wy AS has been done in this and other
countries whore that object has been at.
lained, therefore the Delaware Beet Sugar
Company think ii best to make it part oi
the agree mcnt to II quIrr the hretS grown
for them To be done under the following
general directions:
lst. Take lands " Inch have produced heets
rich in sugar or those which have soil OF
the same kind. Select fields recently
under tlilage, say i'll corn, potatoes toma-
toes, etc.
ID. Plow one or two inches deeper than
common. or if the soil i, shallow. stir the
suhsoil; this should hr done in the fall or
early in the spring, and then LETT until seed,
ing time.
81. From the latter part OF April to the
early part Of jane will do to plant the
seed; give the ground thorough harrow.
ing, making it fine and level Just before
planting. Use no stable or other nitro
genous manures at this time, hut only in
tho fall or on previous crops; tert!!lzrr-
such as hone meal. pho,phates, guanos, and
ashes, if properly used, will pay.
4th. Plant by hand or drill in rows /;
straight and of uniform width is very de.
| sirable, and as close as they can be worked,
| (this is needed to grow a gOod.si2ed paying
crop,) say from l8 to u inches apart
another plan is, to plant three rows II to l6
| inches apart, then wider space of 81 to 80
| inches for the horse to walk in in work ing,
the harrow runs in the wide space and a
narrow one each side Of it at the same
time. The seed should be covered about
! Z of an inch deep, and the dirt pressed on
them with roller or other means. 1t re-
quireS about II pounds Of seed to an acre
if drilled.
9TH. Run the harrow through them as
| soon as the rows of bcets can he seen
| plainly, work more than once before thin
ming.
9th. Thinning is one Of the important
parts of the work the time to do this i.
| when the beets are about the size Of a pen
cil if the seed has been drilled in con
tinuous row, take sharp hoe Of the righ
width, and cut right through leaving hill
to every or 10 inches. This distance
should be proportioned to the width of tn,
rows and richness of the land so as to max,
one to every l20 to POO square inches
which gives about 10000 or $4,000 of then
| d
hill. Children can do much Of this work
7th. Keep the ground well titled will
harrow and hoe, and the root covered; il
working it is well to keep the earth ridge
: to the beet, but not to the leaves; thre
or four harrowings and one or two hoeinE'
will do; the cutting through the rows ma
be counted for one hocinE; the harrowin
and hOeing should not he continued wine
it breaks and Injuries the leaves. Good Ii
lage will pay we'll in this crop.
Sth. From the latter part Of Srptrmbe
to the first Of November may be considere
J as the time during which herts may l.
harvested; they should be of good soil
growth. Plow or pull them up, throw j
piles, but do moi leave them exposed to III
sun very long, as 1t will dry them, and thu
reduce the weight, as we'll rs injure III
juice.
9th. Cut off the top just below where III
leaf stems separate.
10Th. If it is not convenient to ha!
when harvested put them IN ridges right
the field, say about 3 or / feet wide, and
high as they will lay. Fix the sid'
smoothly so that no brets stick out nue.
then cover with Il thin coat of earth whIc
should he increased If there is danger
freezing before they are removed.
llth. TO keep them through the wintc
dig trench about Fl. wide in a co
venient and dry place, put the hrets
ridges AS high as the earth would !;
against without rolling down, pace Il
beets which project SO as to make the sid
even, and cover with sufficient thickn"
to protect them from freezing. The ridg
should run north and south, so as to ha
the sun about the same on both sides. ~
thus they would be equally exposed c
on each other.