The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-07-10
Cultivating Sugar Beets.

Tie following instructions have been
prepared by the Chemical Divisions of
the United States Department of Agri-
culture, which has direct charge Of the
sugar interest for toe guidance OF those
who propose to experiment the present
season with the sugar beets. A copy
| of these instructions was enclosed with
every package of sugar beet seed sent
out:
Soil-The soil should be we'll drained
| and with a good exposure 10 the light.
1t should be of loose texture easily
pulyerized and of average fertility.
Fertilizing = Barn yard manure
should not be applied Immediately be-
fore planting, but if the soil has re-
ceiyed dressing of well-rotted manure
the previous autumn, which has been
| well piowed in and left over winter, it
may be of advantage. If fertilizers are
| employed, superphospllates Of lime,
| containing from 10 to j. per cent of
available phosphoric acid. may be used
at the rate of 250 TO 500 pounds per
| acre; if nitrogen is employed it should
be only i'll moderate quantities and
| best in the form of nitrate of soda at
the rate of 100 TO $50 pounds per acre;
| potash may be supplied in the form OF
| kainite at the rate of 200 to 100 pounds
| per acre, or a high grade sulphate at
the rate of 80 to 100 pounds per acre.
1t is probable that in most soils where
experiments are made this year no
fertilizers of any kind will be used, and
very good beets can be grown on most
| of our Western soils without the use of
| fertilizers at present. When fertilizers
are employed they may be sown broad
cas5 or drilled in the rows and best at
tn time of planting.
Preparation of Soil-If the soil is
deep and rich it may be p!owed at once
| to he depth of twelve or fifteen inches
| Iu less fertile soils it is best to plow to
| the depth of eight or nine inches and
sIbsoil to the depth of four or five
inches. The land should be thorough
| ly narrowed and reduced to n fine con-
dition of tilth before planting.
Planting-For small patches the seed
can be put in by hand. For larger
fields drills can be provided In gen
eral, the rows should be eighteen inches
| apart and the seed planted so rs to give
one for about every three inches.
| When the beets begin to show four
leaves they should be thinned so they
will stand at a distance from six to
| nine inches apart in the rows, accord
ing to the fertility of the soil. This
| regular thinning of the beets is abso-
| lutely necessary to secure Il high sugar
content, and it should be completed be-
fore they show six leaves. In very
| fertile soils the beets should be left
closer together, while in less fertile
ones they should be further apart. The
| object in all cases, should be to grow
| a beet which will average about one
pound in weight after it is cleaned and
topped.
Cultivation.-lt is best to have the
beets cultivated flat and not planted in
ridges. Any method of cultivation
which will keep out the weeds and
keep the ground thoroughly stirred
| will be sufficient 1t is important that
| the hoe should be used, especially at
| the time of thinning, and. to secure
| good results, this method of cultivation
should not he neglected. The cultiya-
| ton of beets should be continued about
the same time as for ordinary crops
and they should be laid by when the
| leaves begin to thoroughly cover the
| ground.
If beetS are planted in small patches
they should be in such a position as not
to be shaded by other growing crops,
especially corn, as the free exposure to
sunlight is absolutely necessary to pro-
duces Il beet containing Il maximum
| percentage of sugar.
Further instruction in regard to har-
vesting and manufacturing the beets
will be contained in Bulletin No. y,
| which will soon be issued and sent to
each one who has requested package
of beet seed, or who may hereafter ask
! fOr il