Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-02-14
The Seedin3 of Sugar Beets
A Paper by Chief Aghculturst WHITEWATER.
Read Before the Farmers Institute, Rocky
- Ford, February 9th.

| lowed ana disintegrated through the
ciimatical Influences of the winter
months. The work Of the plow TO be
performed In the fall OF the year va
rics. with the condition Of the field
which IL To be prepared for II sugar
beet crop.
Bcets After Grain-lf beets ARE to
follow grim. the stubbie should be
plowed shallow, three TO four inches.
immediately after the crop hns been
removed, nnd this for two reasons:
First-lt Will prevent the sun from
baking the surface OF the stubblc land.
which baking would prove quite an OBJ
stncic In plowing shallow: and. second.
In order to cover the large amount OF
weed seed always present after the
harvest with fresh soil and thus force
it's termination and growth the same
year In which IL has been produced.
which weeds will be later on destroyed
through the deep plowing 10 In per-
formed the same fall. Should We plow
deep Immediately. these weed seeds
would bc covered with heavy layer
of soil. which would prevent their ger
mination, and the seeds would lie dor
mant until brought nearer the surface
again by the spring work. nt which
time they would then commence to
sprout and grow with the crop sown
Into the land. Perennial weeds, too.
arr either killed or considerably set
4, back aud weakened through u shallow
blowing Immediately after the re-
movai OF u grain crop. For this shnl.
low blowing gang plow OF three or
four shares In very advisable. ms II les
sens the cost OF the work considerably
and also Increases the speed of Its per
forinnncc. After this first shallow piow-
Ing the Held should bc narrowed and
probably rolled. - that most OF the
weed seed can quickly gcrminatc:
then the Held remains In this cOndi-
| tlon until the land II settled and has
turned green again with the growth
OF the young weeds.
II II II the Intention Of the farmer
to manure his land he should not hes.
itatc To perform this work soon after
the frst piowinI IL finished. In order
that the manure Will bc properly
spread by the time the second and
deep piowing II commenced. The
deeper this plowIng can bc done In
good. old cultivated ground. the better
the results, and In Germany most Of
the old beet growers piow rs deep ns
eighteen inches. Where. however. beet
culturc II a new industry. the grower
must bc careful not To bring too much
new soil NIL nj once from the depth To
/ the surface. but Increase the depth OF
his plow furrow from two to three
inches each year until lie has reached
the maximum depth OF about fourteen
or sixteen inches. ! would say that
from eight To ten inches deep plowinr
Will br ms much rs can conscientious
ly recommend here. where general
( farmln. has been practiccd for n
number OF years. and In such localities
.,I. Ia Nst.ls s..
the sugar beet grower. In order to
perform good plowing. II is advisable
not TO cut your burrows too wide. rs
narrow strips OF land mellow more
thoroughly: also. u greater speed OF
the team can he obtained and consc-
pucntly a better turning OF the soil.
Bccts After Potatoes or Bccts-If
bccis arr to follow bccts or potatoes.
the shallow plowing IL not necessary.
but by no means should the deep plow.
ing bc omitted. and. moreover. II
should be done before the winter sets
In. In Europe. where sliced bccts re-
main In the field sometimes until Feb
ruary. the beet growers plow their
fields between the rows OF slices.
which are from forty to sixty feet
apart and contain from three to six
tons OF the silo. according TO the yield
Of the crop. Besides the advantage
OF having the field In the rough furrow
over winter. the beet tops are plowed
under while more or less green. In
which condition they have a higher
| fertilizer value than when fully dried
UP.
Spring work-In the humid regions,
where the retaining of winter moisture
In the soil IL of vital Importance for
the success OF the crop. the first work
l L. Ii
the land. Through the settling of the
soil Its capillary tubes reach n higi.
stage of development. and as soon as
the surface of the soil becomes some.
what dry. n continuous evaporation Of
soil moisture takes place through these
tubes. which Is n great loss In u coun.
try where heavy spring winds prevail.
The high ridges are especially exposed
to the sun and wind. and consequently
dry out much quicker, which IL like
wise the case with isolated Jumps or
clods of soil; and the longer the land
lies undisturbed in spring the dryer
becomes these Jumps; and when later
on. after being imbedded in the soft
soil by a drag or roller. the seed Is
deposited In these dry spots In the soil,
these kernels gcrminate much later
than those which are surrounded by
moist soil. which state of affairs ac-
counts largely for an uneven coming
up of the young plants right from tho
start and proves later on very detri-
mental to the crop, as these late plants
will never reach the size of the early
beets. The early dragging Of the land
remedies these evils better than the
narrowing and the soil of the mashed
clods settles again and permits the
formation of new capillary tubes.
while NIL over the field n great saving
of moisture is accomplished, as thin
layer of loose soil covers the openings
of these capillary tubes. This opera
tion can be generally recommended ns
very valuable, with the exception on
heavy soils. which form n solid body
after rainy weather. where dragging
,,-a,,l.l ho nnffncilyn lf nnt detrimental