The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-22
POINTERS ON BEET CULTURE.
Press Bulletin From the Universit,
Experiment Station,

press bulletin on sugar beets, pre-
pared by Harry Snyder, agricultural
chemist, and Willet NJ. Hayes, agricul-
turist, has just been issued from the
university experiment station, st. An
thony Park. From one to five acres
of beetS have been grown on the eX
pertinent station farm every year since
the establishment of the station in
1888. In addition to the beets which
have been grown at the station, seeds
have been distributed nearly every
year to farmers in various parts of
the state. The beets grown on the sta
ton farm as well as those raised by
farmers and sent to the station, have
been analysed every year during the
past eight years. During the eight
years the experiments have been in
progress 1,079 samples of sugar beets
grown in Minnesota have been anal
yzed, yielding an average of 14.04 per
cent sugar, and purity cOeft1cient Of
1904. Continuing, the bulletin says, in
part:
The amount Of rainfall necessary to mature
crop of sugar beets depends upon the ma
ture of the soil, and the dryneSs of the
atmosphere Two inches Of rain per month
during the three growing months of June
July and August, with good cultivation, will
insure crop of sugar beets. If the soil is
well stocked with moisture in the spring, and
the proper cultivation is given so as to con-
serve the soil moisture less water in the
form OF rain will be required. For sugar beet
culture there should be an annual rainfall
OF at least rs inches. A dry spring and sum
mer, followed by a rainy September, produces
poor quality of beets for sugar making pur-
poses, dry fall, up to Oct. TO- is favorable
for the proper maturing of the crop.
dry summer, followed by a wet fall will
cause the beets to begin a second growth
which decreases the content of sugar There
are many localities in this state where the
necessary condition as to rainfall exist
hos I0oO
soil; one that contains a fair amount of
sand. The subsoi should be Of claylike ma
ture so as to be sufficiently retentive of water.
A good corn soil is usually a good beet soil
On alkal soils the beets are Of poorer quality
because the alkaline salts are taken up by
the beets in abnormal amounts, which reduces
the purity of the juice. Beets should not be
grown on sour muck soils. The soil should
be In good state of fertility. Manure as
raw stable manure, cannot be applied directly
to the crop, because it makes the beets too
large and pulpy. The manure must be ap-
plied to the preceding crop, as corn. The
SOILS or this state at present, do not re-
quire any manuring for raising sugar beets.
A little later manure will be required. A
soil that has been under cultivation to grain
crops is in better condition for sugar beets
than new prairie soil. For beet growing
be desired,
The best time for planting sugar beets in
this state has been from May to June l. de-
pending Of course upon the season Beets
soWn as late as June 10 and even June Is
have matured before early fall frosts. If the
beets are sown too early, the plants that
are produced are not as vigorous as when
planted later, and the very early paintings
are usually poorer in sugar. This is doubt
less due to the vitality Of the plant having
been partially exhausted in its early strug-
giles. We have about a months range for
beet seeding. Beets mature in about ITO to
120 days after seeding, depending upon the
variety Of seed, and the season Of the year.
During the past eight years that our expert
ments have been in progress the crop has al
When the beets have reached their full ma
turity, the outer circle of leaves turns yell
low, while the inner circle still retains a
green tnge. If the beets are not harvested
at the proper time, and begin to make a
second growth the amount of sugar is de-
creased. Freezing and then thawing also
reduces the per cent of sugar.