Arizona republican., 1901-10-02
SUGAR BEET SOIL
Best Lands and the Question of Alter
 hating Crops.

iety of soils; but it is generally ad- mitted that the best results are ob- tained in light clayey and sandy loams. ] In Utah and Colorado, and also in New Mexico. where plenty of irrigation
 water Is available, sandy loam is pre- fe:red and, as a rule, gives beets of a very high saccharine quality. Where the water supply is rather scant, a ciayey soil is better, for it retains the moisture longer.
 Under no circumstances should beets be seeded-where high winds are fear ed-in land which is sandy enough to blow.
 Good potato. corn and grain lands are l considered ideal for beet raising. Deep soil is most desirable, when we consider that the teet is a deep root ing plant, reaching often a length of fifteen to eighteen inches.
 It has been found in southern Cali fornia and in Utah that Alkaline lands. well and often irrigated, give good ton- mage and rich beets.
 New land should not be chosen for raising beets. It should first be sown to grain or some other crop. Alfalfa land Is most excellent. providing, how ever. that crop of small grain should have been first grown, to get rid of the roots Sage brush and mesquite lands give also good results. after having been subdued by preparatory crops. Beets raised in clayey soil are harder to harvest than others grown in sandy loam; and they will carry along more adhering dirt. thus adding to the freight and~to the ''tare.''
 The question Is often asked, Gan ! beets be grown constantly in the same soil with good returns?" To this oues- tion the answer Is most emphaticaily, "No!' Beets should not be raised con | tinuously in the same ground. and this for the following reasons:
 Drawing constantly the same propor- tiGns and kinds Of food from the same land. will certainly soon impair results. Besides, constant cropping with beets will have the tendency to perpetuate and multiply the insect enemies or fun gus diseases that prey upon this plant. Certainly. beets in some instances. lave been successfully raised for years and years in the same lands without apparent bad effects; but this does by no means destroy the maxim above stated.
 In Nebraska. Michigan. California and many other states. crops are TO- tated in such a way that beets are grown in the same land every third year only. It Is believed, however. that with the sediment deposited here by | the irrigation water. beets might be raised successfully in the same ground every alternating year in the Salt River valley.
 SEEDING AND CULTIVATION
 After the proper soil for growing sugar beets has been selected. the pre- PaIation ot the seed bed is in order. The land is first soaked and plowed. as soon as possible thereafter It is then narrowed twice-once lengthwise and once crosswise. For this work many farmers prefer to use a disc har- row. or pulverizer. or better yet an ordinary corn cultivator This pull verizing being done it is sometimes necessary to pulverize the land with a drag or float. after which a common roi.er is used to pack the surface of the ground
 In hot weather and in irrigated coun- tries where the soil is liable to dry out rapidly. care should be taken not to prepare more ground than can be seed ed the same day. It may be said as a matter Of information, that an or dinary four row beet drill will seed ten to twelve acres per day:
 The soil being prepared as above and perfectly level is ready to be seeded. For small patches the single row hand planter may be used; when raising beets on a larger scale, a special drill is advisable. Several of our most inn portant implement dealers are now making a specia.ty of furnishing all tools required for beet culture.
 The seed should be dropped in at a depth of not more than one, to one and one quarter inches. and the soil should be well packed around it The young beet in coming through the ground is very tender. and, should the seed be put in too deep, or should a crust form around this tender plant. 1t would be smothered before reaching the surface.
 From fifteen to twenty pounds of seed are necessary per acre. in order to insure perfect stand. Too much stress can not be put on the fact that ultimate results. both as to quality and quantity. depend entirely on the stand or young pants, and, should this not be secured, no hesitation must be felt in blowing up the field and replanting
 The beet drill is set so as to SOW the seed in rows eighteen inches apart. This is the standard distance adopted by most all factories. In some instan- oes, where the soil is extra fertile and rich, beets have been raised fourteen inches apart.
 Under ordinary climatic conditions seed will germinate after a few days and the young plants vii, show above ground in ten to twelve days; but it is believed thlt here. with the soil at a high temperature .beets should be com ing up in from five to six days.
 As soon as the rows are plainly wis ible. cultivation should be started. This first cultivation has a triple ob- ject; it loosens the ground around the plant and aerates it; it destroys the sprouted weeds, and kills, O. drives away the insect pests that might dam age the beets. Always avoid covering the pants. or milling them. as level soil keeps the moisture better. When the beets have developed four leaves they are ready for punching. This is done