The record-union., 1897-10-19

content of 14.7 and purity of S0-5.
1t was observed, however, that the aut-
umn- planted beets had a higher con-
tent Of marc than those planted in
the spring.
Under date Of January 4, 1897, the
agricultural manager of the Chino Beet
Sugar Factory wrote that he had
planted FIVE acres Of beets on the list
of December, and that they were then
we'll out of the ground He further
stated it to be the intention of the com
pany to continue the experiments OF
autumnal and winter planting on a
more extensive scale, and to plant from
fifty to 100 acres in the autumn OF
| 1897 for the harvest of 1898 In this
connection it must be remembered that
the climatic conditions Of the Chino
Valley are almost unique for beet-su-
gar production, and the experience
there obtained would not be applicable
to beet sugar regions in general.
CULTIVATION.
AS soon as the beets are large enough
to mark the rows, cultivation with the
horse or hand hoe may be commenced.
! Cultivation must not be postponed, ex-
cept for unfit condition of the soil, If
the grass and weeds appear above the
ground at the same time with the beets.
When large fields are cultivated, the
horse hoe may be used. For smaller
| fields a similar apparatus drawn by
hand may be employed A plow for
this purpose frees the spaces between
the rows of beets from weeds and the
guard prevents the growing beets from
being covered by the loose soil.
When the beets show four leaves the
process of thinning should take place
If the rows be IS inches apart g vigor-
Gus plant should be left every or 10
inches. Careful selection should be
made and all the puny plants destroyed
1t is better to save the vigorous plants
even If regular intervals are not pre-
served, but no space should be left
greater than II TO 10 inches in extent.
Much of the thinning can be done
with narrow hoe, but where the plants
are very close together, at the place
where the preserved plant is to grow
the work must be done by hand. It is
well to give a thorough hand hoeing at
| the time of thinning, and the subse-
quent cultivation in most seasons, may
| be carried on with horse power.
/
a few deeper civilizations may be de-
sirable, and for these any good mar
row cuitivator may be used for single
rows or wider ones for double rows
The cultivation in all cases should
be conducted for the double purpose of
keeping the beets entirely free from
weeds and for preserving the proper
| tilth of the surface of the soil. It may
| be said that at least once a week dur
ing the period of growing, lasting from
six to eight weeks, the beet field should
be cultivated. If the season be very
| dry, more frequent cultivation will be
| found useful. The final cultivation
should leave the soil practically level.
| During cultivation care should be taken
not to injure either the leaves or the
root of the beet, and when the foliage
of the growing crop begins to cover
well the surface of the soil cultivation
may be suspended.
| In growing beets with irrigation a
cultivator which will prepare the fur
row for conducting the water over the
! field is important. In this instrument
| the plow in the rear of the cultivator
teeth forms the required furrow and
can be set at any required depth. In
ordinary cultivation the brush harrow
can be inserted in place of the plow.
In the cultivation of large areas an
implement adapted to four rows of
| beets is desirable. Such an implement
however can not be advantageously
used. except in those cases where the