The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-04-24
THE SUGAR BEET CONTEST.

4
The Mankato Board of Trade offers
cash prizes amounting to $4,000 for
best Sugar Beets raised in 1891 in Blue
Earth or Nicollet counties. Prize
money to be divided as follows:
S15 for first best, $40 for second best,
S. for third best.
The basis of quality is the largest
percentage of sugar and the smallest
percentage of salts.
All samples of beets will be tested
by competent chemists and money
paid as soon as tests can be made and
results ascertained.
All desiring to compete for the
ABOVE prizes must doaso under the fol-
lowing conditions:
/. Sow and cultivate at least one
sixteenth of an acre..
2. Cultivate the beets thoroughly
and follow as closely as possible the
rules and suggestions laid down by ex-
| perienced growers.
3. Keep full record of the crop
and the manner in which it is treat
| ed, filling in same on blank below,
signing same and delivering to the
committee with sample of beets sub
mitted for analysis:
4. Delivering to the committee
one-half dozen beets as samples for
analysis.
The following rules and suggestions
are recommended by leading authori-
eies on the subject:
l. In raising this vegetable the
ground should be carefully selected.
The best is rich, deep soil with
subsoll, that allows the surface water
to pass through. Although it re-
quireS considerable amount of moist
ure for its growth, it cannot bear
standing water. 1t is advisable to Sc
! lect the best piece of land available,
not too wet Of course, but neither too
dry. A sandy hill for instance, might
dryout to quickly. Land on which
30 bushels OF corn to the acre can be
raised will do.
2. Work the soil only when it is
perfectly dry, selecting such soil that acilI
produce the best Average corn crop.
3. Plow from ten to twelve inches
and prepare as you would your yege-
table garden.
4. Sow the seed with drills, rows
l6 to Is inches apart, at depth of
to inch at the rate of 20 pounds per
acre, say from the 18th of April to the
10th of May.
5. Cultivate as soon as possible,
even before beets are up.
6. When the young plants have
four leaves thin out at once, leaving
from 6 to inches but single plant.
7. Cultivate or hoe once a week,
thus keeping down the weeds until
the leaves shadow the ground entire
| ly, then hill them up and leave them
alone until harvest time.
| s. BeetS are ripe when the leaves
take on much lighter color, which
occurs Al to 5 months after planting.
9. In harvesting, pillow furrOw
close to the beetS, turning soil to one
side, pull beetS over toward furrOw
and thus out of the ground, beat them
slightly together, getting rid Of the
dirt this way, and then throw them
into small piles.
10. Take a sharp, heavy butcher
| knife and with one stroke top below
the bottom stems of leaves, then pre-
serve in cellar if intended to keep
them over winter, never expose to
sun rain or frost.
/ We believe that this locality is es-
| pecially adapted to the culture of the
sugar beet. The few which were rails
ed lastyear, considering the somewhat
unfavOrable conditions and the lack
of knowledge as to the proper way to
manipulate the crop, showed very ia
yOrable results.
We desire this year to give the mat
ter thorough and decisive test, and
to this end ask the cooperation of ev-
cry thrifty farmer in the two counties.
Sugar beetS are one of the most
profitable crops that can be raised.
Reports from last years crop at
Grand Island, Neb., show in many
cases net profit to the farmer, after
deducting all costs of seed, labor, ETC.,
of $40 to SO per acre.
If this years crop proves our soil
and climate to be favorable for sugar
beet raising, large refinery will
doubtless be erected at Mankato at
once. AS this would be of great ben
eft to the farmers of this locality, we
trust we may have their hearty CO.
operation in our efforts to have the
matter thoroughly tested this season.
EgSeed may be had of the commit
tee.
G. Ell. HIGGs,
GEO. T. BARE,