The National tribune., 1890-05-22
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers

| hbllCultuidi hCdu6IS
HOW TO PLANT AND CULTIVATE SUGAR BEFTs.
The following instructions have been pre-
pared by tho Chemical Division of the United
States Department. of Agriculture, which has
direct charge of the sugar interest, for the
guidance of those who propose to experiment
the present season with the sugar beet.
The soil should DO we'll drained, and with
good exposure to the light. 1t should be of
loose texture, easily pulverized and of average
fertility.
Barnyard manure should not be applied i'm
mcdiately before planting, but If the soil has
received dressing of well-rotted manure the
| previous Autumn, which has been we'll plowed
in and left over Winter, it may be of ad vantage.
If fertilizers are employed, superphosphates of
lime, containing from 10 to Is per cent. of
available phosphoric acid may be used at tho
rate of ESQ to 800 pounds per acre; IL nitrogen
is employed 1t should be only in moderate
| quantities, and best in the form of nitrate of
soda at tho rate of 100 to $50 pounds per aero;
potash may be supplied in the form of kainit
at the rate of 200 to 400 pounds per acre. or q
high grade sulphate at the rate of SO to 100
pounds per acre. II 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 begrown on most of our Western
| soils without the use of fertilizers at present.
| When fertilizers are employed they may be
sown broadcast or drilled in the rows, and best
at the time Of planting.
II the soil is deep and rich 1t may be plowed
at once to the depth of l2 or Is inches in
less fertile soils it is best to pillow to the depth
| eight or nine inches aud subsoil to the depth of
four or five inches. The land should be thor
oughly narrowed and reduced to fine condi-
| ton of filth before planting.
For small patches the seed can be put In by
hand. For larger fields drills can be provided
| In general, the rows should be Is inches apart
and the seed planted sO as to give one for about
every three inches. When the beets begin to
show four leaves, they shond be thinned SO
they will stand at distance of from six TO nine
| inches apart in the rows, according to the fer
| tility of the SOIL This regular thinning of tho
beets Is absolutely necessary to secure a high
sugar content and it should be completed before
they show six leaves. In very fertile soils the
| beetd sh0nld be left closer together, while in
loss fertile ones they should be further apart.
| The object, IN all cases, should be to grow
beet which will average about one pound In
weight after IL is cleaned aRi topped.
IL is best to have the beets cultivated fat,
and not planted in ridges. Any method of cul-
tivation which will keep out tho weeds aud
| Keep the ground thoroughly stirred will BIO
sufficient 1t is important that tho hoo should
| BIO used, especially at the time of thinning aud,
TO secure good results this method of cultiya-
| tIon should not be neglected. The cultivation
| OF beets should be continued about the same
rs for ordinary crops, and thoy should be laid
| by when the leaves begin to thoroughly cover
| the ground.
If boets are planted in small patches they
should bein such position as not to be shaded
| by other growing crops especially corn, as the
| Tree exposure to sunlight Is absolutely neces-
sary 10 produce beet containing maximum
| percentage of sugar.
| Further instruction In regard to harvesting
and manufacturing the beets will DO contained
IN Bulletin No. ~ of the Agricultural Depart
ment. Washington, ID, C., which will soon be
| issued and sent TO each one who has requested
package of beet seed, or who may hereafter
ask for IT.
TIE VINEYARD.
Grape vines win grow very fast this month
| when the weather gets warm, hence we
should attend 10 them before they become en-
| twined together All rampant shoots should
ho pinehed back 10 The frat or second leaf be-
yond the last bunch of grapes some persons
| prefer but one leaf, others more. We see no
| particular difference in the results OF either
method II IL BIO properly carried out. The
| principal thing To be accomplished in pinching
back the rampant shoots is to check their
growth and force the dormant or less vigorous
shoots into moro vigorous growth, thereby
producing better and larger punches on those
weaker-growing shoots which otherwise would
have been robbed of their growth by tho more
| vigorous ones. In pinching back, this fact
should always be kept In mind. that the most
rampant shoots should be pinched in first, and
as others become strong they should be pinched
ka hat
| should not be pinehed back AZ ali. This pinch
ing Ia hhOuld be done by degrees aud not ali at
once on any vine, otherwise 1t would be better
| TO let il alone
Cultivate the vineyard frequently. but not
when the ground Ii wet or when the grapes are
IN bloom. The vineyards that pay the best are
| those which receive the greatest care and at
tenti0n In every respect In young vineyard
one may plant vegetables and strawberries but
when in full bearing neither should be allowed.
AS The young vines grow tic them up TO stakes
or treilis III canes have been laid down for
| layers in trenches, fill them up a. they grow,
| and each eye will make good vine of all those
| varieties that root readily, but Cynthiana aud
| Its class require two years 10 make good vines
| Ia that way. Where there are any gratis the
suckers must DO kept of or they will rob the
| gratis IN taking them OFF be careful not TO
disturb the gratis and do not mistake a graft
Tor sucker, ms Ia sometimes done when they
"NNAAN NAN1i 1ho Eiouuh. II ~ Dc uD-
| termined by its appearance remove tho earth
aud ascertain, replacing the soil aud pack ing it
| firmly TO the graft, without moving it. Tie the
| gratis up AZ they grow, or the wind will blow
| them OFF. Cultivate young vines, layers aud
| gratis frequently and keep tho ground clear of
| weeds. Orchard and Garden.
NoTEa
Clover chopped fine and sprinkled with bran
| and meal is cheap and excellent food for hens
and ducks.
Plant dwarf peas in hills one foot apart each
way put 10 or IL in hill; plant four inches
| deep hoe we'll.
Begin fighting the black rot in grapes M
| carly as possible. First, scatter lime Iiborally
| over the ground.
Colts should be handled early and ported, but
never teased. They are tractable creatures and
| very responsive 10 kindness.
For feeding purposes it is estimated that 100
| pounds OF bcets are worth 10 cents; 100 pounds
OF rutahagas, Is cents, and 100 pounds of the
| flat turnip, IL cents.
DO not work the horses too steadily Mt first
horse that has stood In the stable all through
| tho Winter, doing but little work. is Ia no con-
dition for enduring a heavy days labor
Keep The manare well gathered up around
the sheds and stables now. There are usually
| more or loss hard pouring rains from now on,
and II tho manure lis left out there is "a consid-
| cradle loss by teaching
On the question of the proper temperature In
setting milk, Prof. Henry reports: milk sci
Mt 40 degrees for ii hours, threw up all but
l ferfD -faNNE Hmm .al Al