Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-10-14
The Beet-Suyar Industry /.

From the Rural Press: The pas
sage of the tariff bill has opened up
new averues OF industry which 1t
would he well for our farmers and
capitalists to consider. One Of the
many industries to he benefited is
the encouragement offered to the
producer of sugar.
soIL.
Although heets will grow In a va
riety Of soils, vet all are not equally
adapted To produce this crop to per
fection. The heat soils are those In
which neither clay, lime nor sand
predoninates, but those which con-
tain these constituents IN fair pro-
portion OF organic matter so mixed
that the land is neither too stiff nor
too light, and crumhles down after
being plowed into nice friable
loam. The land should be cultivat-
ell to depth of Is inches, as the
beet root grows entirely under the
soil, and should attain an average
length II to IA inches.
Lime in land is necessary 20 the
perfect development of the sugar
beet. Light sandy coils are not
profitable for beet root crop. Clay
soils when well cultivated will raise
a succession of beet crops, with a
steady improvement of the yield for
seven or eight years. Peaty soil
produces large, watery roots unfit
for use. Sediment lands are the
best, speaking generally. The best
soils for sugar heets are precisely
those on which other root crops can
be grown to rerfection-that is, land
which is neither too heavy nor too
light, which mas n good depth, is
readily penetrated by roots, and
naturally contains lime as we'll as
clay and sand, as we'll as organic
matter in such proportions as in
good friable leans.
Soils unfit for beet crop, on ac-
count of injurious salts that enter
into the composition Of the beet
Juice, are new tiuIbar lands grubbed
within Is years, clover lands, sheep
pastures, and lands near salt woi ks,
volcanic and saliue soils of all kinds.
SOWING.
The best time to SOW the beet root
seed should depend upon the late
rains and frost. The tender beet
plant is easily destroyed by frost; at
the same time, to obtain q good crop,
the plant should secure a good start
before the moisture has left the
ground. 1t should be borne in
mind that heets require coed deal
OF water the first two months to in
. Ire good crops.
In Europe from twelve to twenty
p ,unds OF seed are required per acre,
but in this state FROM four to six
pounds is all that is necessary or
ever desirable. The beets should be
planted from four to eight inches
apart in the rows, and the rows
should be from fifteen to eighteen
inches spaced.
Never grow beet crop from newly
manured land.
Never Craze sheep on beet land.
Sow early; but If frost-bitten,
cultivate old plants under and re-
SOW.
Sow in rows sixteen inches apart
and four to eight inches between
plants. This will give about 40,OC1
beets at an average of l.! pounds, or
81, 900 pounds per acre.
Remove weeds as soon as possible
and keep the ground clean.
Never remove leaves during the
growth OF the plant. Iwenty-four
thousand beet seed will weigh one
pound.
The system adopted in this
and that has proved most
is for the farmer to pre-
pare the land, SOW the seed and do
all the work that can be done by
cams. By this time thei young
,eet has become quite strong, and
he farmer then makes IA contract
o take care of and to harvest the
'rop from this time, delivering
hem on board the farmers wagon
It a cost of Sl.50 per ton-thus
living "A good profit 10 the farmer.