The record-union., 1897-10-19

raj. the Improved Elite, the Improved
Imperial Elite, the Imperator, Olive
Shaped, the Excelsior, etc.
In this country considerable qnanti
ties of beet seed have been grown by
the Alameda Beet Sugar Company of
Alvarado, Cal, chiefly for its own con-
sumption 1t is probable that there are
other growers OF beet seed in this coun-
try, but no definite information con-
cerning that point can be given.
SOIL.
The sugar beet does not require
particular kind of soil for its proper
production. In general soils are de-
scribed for practical purposes as clay
ey, sandy, loamy, or alluvial soils; all
OF these soils will produce beets. The
black prairie soils also have been found,
with proper cultivation, TO produce ex-
cellent beets. Generally, the least fa-
vorable soils for the sugar beet are
stiff clay, which is cultivated with Diff
| ficulty and readily packs under the in
| fiuence of hard rains and hot suns, and
virgin soils or those especially rich in
organic matter or alkaline salts. Per-
haps the best soil may be described as
SdIhQg lOdUi, N
equilibrium between organic matters.
! clay and sand.
In general 1t may be said that any
soil which will produce a good crop of
Indian corn, wheat or potatoes Will,
| under proper cultivation, produce a
good crop of sugar beets. The soil on
which sugar beets are grown, however,
should be reasonably level, and this be-
ing the case it should be well drained.
Natural drainage on level soil being
| somewhat deficient, it is advantageous
| that tile drainage be practiced. 1t
would be difficult to grow sugar beets
on level land without good drainage,
especially in a rainy season.
FERTILIZATION
Happily, in most American soils there
is still sufficient natural fertility to
produce a good crop of sugar beets;
whereas In the soils of Europe, where
| sugar beets have been grown for years,
the farmers must depend on fertilizers
to insure a remunerative crop.
ROTATION.
| Beets do best after wheat or some
other cereal. 1t is true that soils on
which beets have not been grown, as
| the soils of this country, may produce
| beets for several years without harm.
| Nevertheless, proper rotation is always
| desirable
A good scheme of rotation is, first,
wheat: then beets; then clover one
| crop of which is cut for hay and the
| second crop plowed under; then pota-
| toes, wheat and beets in the order
| mentioned. BY this method and ju-
dicious use of stall manure and COM
| mercial fertilizers, the fertility of the
| soil can be maintained and even in
creased Beets should follow wheat or
other cereal crop, because this crop, be-
ing harvested early, leaves the ground
| ready for the late autumn plowing, q
prerequisite to successful beet culture.
PREPARATION OF THE LAND.
The field in which beets are to be
planted should be selected and plowed
in the late autumn to the depth of at
| least nine inches. The plow in each
| furrow should be followed by a sub
soiler, which will loosen the soil to the
depth of six or seven inches or more.
Each field to be planted in beets should
| thus have the soil prepared by thor
oughly loosening it to the depth Of
| from fifteen to eighteen inches. The
| land being exposed through the winter,
becomes quite mellowed, and in the
| spring can be prepared for planting by
| a simple treatment of the surface. This
| is done after plowing by a thorough
surface cultivation until the surface of
| the soil is reduced to perfect tilth. The
large cultivator can be convenient
| 1y used for this purpose, fol-
| lowed when necessary by a harrow and
roller. 1t is desirable, however, that
each portion of the field to be planted
should be thoroughly prepared immedi-
ately before the planting takes place.
For instance, If the planting is to be
made on a given day, the soil should
be thoroughly prepared on the previous
| day. Thus all weeds and grasses which
have started to grow are killed, and the
/ beets have an even chance with the
weeds for growth. If, on the other
hand. the soil is prepared week or
| even a few days before planting, the
weeds and grasses get a good start.
| and it is difficult to free the beets
| therefrom.
PLANTING.
| The beets may be planted either by
hand or by drill. Hand planting may
! be practiced when a very small plant
| is to be put in beets, but where a field
| embracing several acres is to be plant
ed 1t is not convenient In such cases
planting by drill is best. Almost any
garden drill can be adapted to use with
| beet seed. Special drills for sugar beet
seed are made by many manufacturers
| of agricultural implements. In plant
| ing by drill it is necessary to
use from fifteen to twenty pounds
Of seed per acre; in planting by
| hand from ten to fifteen pounds will
be found sufficient.
| Another very convenient hand drill
which Is especially fitted with a beet
seed dropping apparatus, marks and
| excavates the row, drops the seed at
any required distance, and covers 1t.
! The beets should be covered to the
depth of from one-half to one and one
half inches. according to the state of
| the soil. If the soil be moist and in
excellent condition, the beet seed
| should not be covered more than half
an inch If. on the other hand, the
soil be very dry and early rains are
not probable. the seed should be COW
cred to the depth of one and one-half
| inches.
In large cultures it is often important
to be able to plant more than one row
of beets at a time. For this purpose