Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-03-16
THA SUGAR BEET.
AN ELEMENT OF FUTURE PROS.
PERiTY.

AN ELEMENT OF FUTURE PROS.
PERITY.
The Natural Home for the Basis OF
:. One OF Our staples, :sugar-The
| Experiment station Gives Some
Hints a. to Its Cultivation.
SELECTION OF SOIL.
Sugar beets will thrive upon any
kind of soil, il the soil is properly
drained and the beet properly cultivat.
ed. However, some soils are much
better adapted to the production OF
superior beets than others. The best
soil for the purpose may be called
light, sandy loan; but in general any
soil that is capable of producing good
crops of corn, wheat or potatoes will
produce good crop of sugar beets If
well cultivated.
ROTATION OF CROPS.
Ordinarily, beets should follow
wheat, or some other cereal, because
the cereals must be harvested early,
thus giving sufficient time to prepare
the soil for beets by fall plowing which
is very essential to successful beet cul-
ture.
PREPARATION OF SOIL.
1t is very important that the ground
intended for beets should be worked
only when dry. II it was not plowed
in the fall it should be plowed this
spring to a depth of six to eight
inches, and then subsoiled wherever
practicable six or seven inches deeper.
After plowing, harrow the soil until
free from Jumps, and prepare it as you
would your vegetable garden. As
soon as all danger of heavy frosts is
over, roll the ground with roller un-
til perfectly smooth surface is oh.
tained. Then measure exactly the
ground to be sown (say space OF 10
feet square for each variety of seed) !;
this is absolutely necessary in order to
estimate accurately the yield and cost
of production per acre.
TINE OF PLANTING.
This is very important, and should
be governed largely by temperature.
Begin planting when the daily tenn
perature (or the temperature OF the
soiD is from AZ to so degrees F.; US
ually from the middle Of April TO the
first OF May.
| PLANTING THE SEED.
The seed should be sown with drill
or by hand, at distances from 16 to
Is inches apart between the rows, and
at depth of not more than one inch.
Care should be taken not to SOW deep
er. After the seeds have been sown q
day or two go over the ground with
roller.
| FIRST CULTIVATION.
As soon as the young plants appear
in the rows run a cultivator between
the rows, or hoe if done by hand, 90 as
to allow the air to penetrate the sub
soil.
THINNING THE BEETS.
When the young plants have four
leaves they must be separated, leaving
a single plant at distance from six to
eight inches apart in the rows. accord
ing to the fertility of the soil.
This work is OF the greatest import
ance. for If is delayed more than one
week after it should have been be-
gun tho effect will be to reduce the
crop about one-third; therefore, the
greatest stress is laid on this part of
the work, which must under no con-
alteration be neglected.
GENERAL CULTIVATION.
After the plants have been sepa.
rated, leaving only one every six or
eight inches, hoe or cultivate two or
three inches, begin carefully to.keep
tlye crop free from weeds until the
leaves by their foliage cover the ground
thus keeping the soil moist ard pre-
venting the weeds from growing.
From this time on the crop can be 81
lowed to take its own course until har-
vest time.
HARVESTING.
The time for harvesting varies in
different localities. In general it may
be said that beets planted the first
week in May will be ready for harvest
ing about October Goth. Harvesting
should be postponed to as late date
as possible, provided the beets are in
no danger of q second growth. The
leaves OF the ripening beet change from
a rich green TO yellowish green, be.
comes dropping and applied closely to
the earth, and many Of them die.
The harvesting is best accomplished
by first loosening the beets in the soil
and then removing them by hand,
care being taken not to break the tap
root.
GENERAL REMARKS.
More explicit directions for harvest.
ing the beets and sending them to the
experiment station will be given at q
later time.
There is no crop which will repay
the farmer better for the care and Ia
bor devoted to it. And the amount
of sugar contained in the beets is due
entirely to the care and cultivation
given the crop ct the proper time.
Trusting that you will give to these
directions the attention which their
importance deserves, thanking you for
yonr interest in the matter, and solic.
iting correspondence on this or simi.
lar subjects, we remain
Yours very truly,
| ELTON FULMER,
Chemist Experiment Station, Pull
man, Wash.
W. +. THOMPSON, OF the Sprague
Independent, has issued the first mum.