The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-04-01
GRO TIEG SUGAR EEETs.


professors Of the state agriculture
college as well as the farmers o
Oregon and Washington is th,
cultivation Of the sugar beet ant
the production Of sugar. TIL,
grange and other organizations ar,
taking this matter IN hand an(
will do all in their power to hell
the agricultural colleges solve the
problem Of the success and prof
of this industry. February of las
year Professor p. II. Irish, chemis
of the Oregon college sent ou
seed to about forty farmers with
the following instructions regard
ing cultivation:
SoIL.-This should, where posi-
bic, be a light loan, preferably
containing some lime. The land
should be we'll drained. The beet
gets the greater part of its food
from the ground at a depth oil
eight to twelve inches. Hence
freedom from excess of water is
necessary.
PREPARATION OF LAND.-The land
selected should have been plowed
the fall before planting the seed.
AS soon as it can be properly
worked in the spring the land
should be plowed again, this time
to the depth Of about one foot.
Allow to lie until about one week
before the time for seeding. Then
plow once more to the depth of
four Or five inches, and work the
soil up into fine and hight condi-
ton ii. e.: do not pack it down
with a drag). After allowing the
land to lie about five Or seven
days, plant the seed. The object
of allowing the land to lie is that
sufficient moisture may be drawn
from below for the termination of
the plant, and that the land may
be warmed by the sun, after pull
velization. No manure should be
applied unless in the shape of a
Well-rotted compost put on in the
fall. In ordinary soil the rows
should be eighteen inches apart.
In very rich less; and in poor soil
more than that distance apart.
The conditions should be such that
the beets cannot attain a greater
weight than two pounds each. The
seed should be planted one-half to
three quarters of an inch deep,
and about twenty pounds of seed
used to the acre. Plant, where
possible, in April.
CULTIvATIoN.-This must be
thorough, and should begin as
soon as the beet plants show in
the row. When the beet plants
put out feur leaves thin them out
SO as to leave the plants standing
about four to six inches (not any
farther) apart in the rows. The
weeds should be kept down and
the ground we'll stirred. 1t should
be remembered that beet which
grows up out Of the ground is
worthless for sugar, also that the
beets must not attain to a weight
greater than two pounds apiece
and must be smooth and tapering
IN shape.
Prof. Shaw, who now has charge
Of chemistry and analyzed the |
oeets was greatly disappointed |
hat the farmers i'll many cases
allied to follow instructions with |
'egard to cultivation and making
complete reports. There were
lbout half Of them never sent any |
'eets or made any report what
'ver. In analyzing the specimens
ent they were found to vary in
ugar i'll the juice from GIT to
'2.44 per cent. with an average
'ield of fifteen tons per acre.
The soil and climate of this
tate compare favorably with other
of the world where the
'eet is raised with profit, and from
general appearances all that is
low necessary in order to have
IN unlimited supply of the sweets
crown and manufactured at our
Ioor is for the farmers to take
lold in dead earnest raising the
'lants, and for the capitalists to
cooperate and manufacture it
nto sugar after it has been raised.
1ere Is a fine opening for a man
+ company with means to knock
ut the sugar company which is
0 rapidly coming money in the
United States.-Pacific Farmer.