Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-05-05

sell and keep"
Sugar beets can be raised on all kinds
of ground from which crop Of wheat
or barley will grow good returns Do
not use muck ground or soil which con-
tains stagnant moisture or wet soil as
beets would be failure. Plow deep
| but not more than two inches deeper
than you have plowed 1t is not advis-
able TO use manure on beets. Use it as
heavily as you please on previous crops
Always rotate your crop. Corn, heav.
| lily MANFRED, wheat, beets, barley with
clover, clover plowed under with well
rotted manure, corn, beets, ETC., or corn
we'll MANFRED, wheat, beets, corn we'll
MANFRED, wheat, beets, etc. The Agri-
cultural College also recommends beets,
clover, potatoes, wheat, through fall
working Of the ground after the wheat
for beets, etc, using the manure on 9TH
er crops than the beets.
| Get your winter (falD plowed soil in
shape as soon as possible in the spring.
1t should be dry enough so as not to
stick. Have seed bed in as good condi-
ton as possible. Weeds should be all
exterminated.
| In the spring, first harrow the land,
then cultivate near five inches deep,
pulverize, drag crosswise, roll so as to
pack il two or three inches deep. Just
previous to seeding use a light harrow
one half to one inch deep. Plant seed
the same time you are used TO planting
corn. Use fifteen to eighteen pounds to
the acre. Beet seed should not be put
down more than q OF an inch deep and
soil well packed on top of seed. On
some of our soils, if damp, the soil
should not be packed down on the seed.
| On sandy loan it would be all right
| The heavier the soil the more shallow
the seed should be planted.
| Rows should be Is to 90 inches apart
and the beet from 8 TO inches. Large
acreages should be attended TO in sec
tons (Sections would be by planting
at, say three times, about 10 TO 10 days
apart. Plant not too late as the young
plants need moisture TO produce good
stand
Experience may prove that under fav-
orable circumstances they may be plant
ed as late as July In the last NJ. S b
we have report of good crop from
seed planted July 9th in this locality
breckenridge and one of good crop
planted later than June 10.
With the permission of the editor |
wish to help the farmers of Gratiot Co
that they do not beat themselves in
growing beets for beet sugar.
First, every man who raises beets for
the factory or for stock ought TO take
the Michigan Sugar Beet, published at
Bay City. In years subscription TO
that paper he would be able to post him
self about beets so he could run a sue
cessful beet lot without any instructions
from the factory OF course most Of the |
farmers this season will depend Oh the |
factory, and there are so many small |
contracts and small contractor Will |
want TO know and 20 ask as many ques
tiOns of the agent sent among them as |
the larger contractor Will.
Let us mention one instance. The |
question had been asked by large con-
tractor" How should the beets be put up in |
piles?" The issue of the NJ. S b. for Apr |
18th gives this information and is worth |
more than the price of the paper to the |
man who needs 20 know it. If there Is
demand for it and the NJ. s. b. is will. |
ing we may give it TO you later.
Another instance in the issue of April |
2lst is a lot of correspondence on fitting |
the soil from men of experience. You
can see il is a valuable number 10 a man
with a contract. We might give you
extracts from the subject as treated at
that time but il is getting little late
for it.
Another instance in the issue of April
2Sth are three inquiries answered by
four men of large experience. We may
skim this for the RECORD this week.
Whatever we give you we willquote our
authority and you can depend on II as
all right and for the farmers interest.
The following inquiries are answered
by Fred Jewell, of Lincoln, Neb. w G..
Whitmore, of Valley, Neb.; d. 5. Roush
Of Grand Island, Neb. and r. NJ. Allen
of Ames. Neb, and We will make selec-
tons as seem most suitable 30 this sec
ton.
/. How many acres should contract
or undertake TO cultivate:
Whitmore.-A good farmer with one
or two hired men and some good boys or
girls can tend ten acres.
Allen.-In case of a farmer having lit.
tie available help in his own family two
to five acres great deal of harm
has been done by farmers undertaking
too much. The product OF an acre of
good land will make about carload of
beets.
Dewell-If could afford TO loose one
mans labor during the cultivating seas
on l would plant about five acres the
amount that one man can successfully
noe and thin . A large per cent. of
beginners, assuming that they under
stand all classes of agriculture because
they are farmers, refuse TO follow in
,tructions in beet growing and do lose
their crop.
The Alma factory is not recommending
any man to try five acres alone, but that I
two acres is all that one man ought to
try this year if he does it alone.
2. What kind of soil would you select
for the sugar beet crop and what prelim-
mary preparation would you make for
planting, providing nothing has been
done up TO this time TO fit the soil? {
Whitmore. The best soil on the farm,
stubble preferred, plowed ten inches deep
and make as fine and nice as possible.
Roush.-' The land best suited for
beet growing is clay loan. ! have
raised the best beets on land that raised
he AofA