Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-05-23
SUGAR BEET TALKS.

Grand junction News.
The recent heavy rains have made
1t necessary that those beet growers
whose beets have not yet appeared
above the ground shall be especially
active in aiding the slender beet
plants in their growth. 1t is alto
gether too risky to leave the plants
to shift for themselves even for
short time. and especially SO If the
seed has germinated. Hundreds of
instances of poor stands of beets re-
sulting from delay in breaking the
crust which will always form to
greater or less extent on any soil af
ter a rain emphasize this fact. One
does not have to travel over very
wide territory at the present time to
note that the growers who broke the
crust after the heavy rains following
the first seeding are succeeding much
better in getting good stand of beets
than those who have followed the
"let alone" policy or those who have
depended upon the use of water alone.
1t is matter of much moment to
| both grower and factory that this
crust be broken even though the beets
be watered right away, and he who
does not succeed with his beet crop
and has been SO negligent as to make
no effort at breaking the crust upon
his land, has no one to blame but him
self If he makes failure of his crop.
The following are found to work
successfully under these conditions
All of these devices have been used
1,at I,n al taI ,lr
good work If judiciously used, and
adapted to the varying character of
the soils, of which each farmer must
be his own Judge. Let him lose no
time. however. in the use of some
method to break any crust that may
| have formed upon his land.
Device No. /. Secure a piece of
plank 2x10x24 inches. or thereabouts.
Through this plank drive two rows of
60-pennS wire nails. sloping them at
an angle of from As to 60 degrees, de-
pending upon the character of the
crust to be broken. Attach this
small harrow to the frame of an ordi-
| nary cultivator. after having remov-
ed all of the shovels from the cult
vator, so that the handles may be used
to guide the harrow. 1t may be nee
essary in some cases to weight this
implement to cause it to do satisfac-
tory work. The implement is very
effective both for light and heavy soils
provided the crust be taken in time.
| Device No g This is very SER
viceable implement for those who have
| a regular two-row beet cultivator. Re
| move all shovels from the cultivator:
make two wooden wheels about 8
| inches in diameter and five inches in
| width, SO arranged that they can be
substituted for set of shovels These
wheels are to be placed directly over
the beet rows. where the press wheels
of the seeder have run. Into these
wooden wheels set three rows of wire
nails. bending the two outer rows on
each wheel slightly outward Be
fore these nails are set into the wheels
1T will be necessary to cut off the
heads and flatten the ends to prevent
their turning in the wood. This i'm
plement is very effective in breaking
the crust directly over young plants.
and will do no injury even though
they have shown through the ground.
1t will probably be necessary to add
a weight to the implement. 1t must
be regulated according to the condi-
ton of the ground.
Device No. 3. This is uuite SIM
liar to the above. 1t is furnished
with some of the regular beet culti-
vstors. 1t consists of a set of "spi-
der wheels. attachable at any desir-
ed angle in the place of the shovels
When properly adjusted these "spi-
ders" are effective. even with mod
erately heavy soils. They will not
injure the plants even though some
of them have appeared above the
ground.
Device No. 4. A heavy roller in
many instances will do effective work
and can be used without fear of injnr-
ing the young plants which may have
appeared above the ground. This
roller may well be followed with
light harrow with teeth laid fiat, es-
pecially II the seed have not sprout
ed
Device No. s. In case the seed
has not yet sprcuted, a harrow may
be used with good results, and with
out fear of injuring the crop. The
teeth should be inclined at an angle
of from As to 60 degrees. and If the
crust be not very hard they may be
even laid fiat down.
Device No. 6. In extreme cases
only is 1t advisable to try softening
the crust with water In some in