Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1902-05-22
Sugar Beet Planting.

As our people are daily becoming
more interested in sugar beet culture
all information relative to the same is
Of interest. Hence, for the beneht OF
those who wish to make the test we
reproduce the following from ID. W.
Wiley's United States Department oil
Agriculture:
PLANTING.
"The beets may be planted either oy
hand or by drill. Hand planting may
no nracticed when very small plat Is
N he mt IN beets. Almost any gar
den drill can be adapted to use with
beet seed. In planting by drill 1t Is
necessary to use from 10 to ~ pounds
Of seed per acre in planting by hand
from 10 to Is pounds will be sufficient
"The beets should be covered 10 'he
depth of one hall to one and one.haii
inches, according to the state OF tne
so;l IL the soil be moist and IN excel
l.nt condition, the beet seed should
not be covered more than hall an men
If IN the other hand, the soil be
very dry and early rains are not prom
able the seeds should be covered To
the depth of one and one-half inches
AIN planting by hand or by drills an
effort should be made to distribute the
seeds singly and at equal distances
apart.
TINE OF PLANTING.
"Beets should be planted as early II
the spring MS possible. Experience
has shown that the early planted beet
almost uniformly produce la &c
Weld and with higher content oil SUI
var than the late planted. No exac
date can be fixed which would he suit
able to all localities. 10 most 81 IN
beet sugar areas of the United state
il will not be found practical 70 plan
earlier than the tirst week in May.
CULTIVATION.
"Aa soon as the beets are lare
enough TO mark the rows, culuvatlo
With the horse or hand hoe may
commenced. Cultivation must not
postponed, except for unfit conditio
Of the soil, if the grass and weeds az
near above the ground at the san
time with the beets.
"When the beets show four leav
the process of thinning should tal
Mace. II the rows be IL inches spa
a vigorous plant should be lett every
or 10 inches. Careful selection shou
be made and all the puny plants a.
stroyed. 1t is better to save the VII
orous plants even ii the regular Int
walls are not preserved, but no spa
shonld be left greater than from IL
IL inches in extent. Much OF the thu
ming work can be done with a narrt
hoe. but where the plants are We
close together, at the place where
preserved plant is to grow, the wo
must be done by hand. II is well
give a thorough hand hoeing at t
time of the thinning and the SUBS
ouent cultivation, IN most seaso
NAV be carried on with horse pow
When the beets are more advanced
few deeper civilizations may be d
sirable.
"The cult walton in all cases shot
be conducted for the purpose OF Kee
ing the beets entirely free OF WEI
and for preserving the proper til'h
the surface OF the soil. fhe beet sho'
be cultivated at least once a week q
ing the period of growth and II
season be very dry more frequent G
tiyation will be found useful. !
final cultivation should leave the
practically level. During the cult
ton care should be taken not to I'M
the leaves or the root Of the beet,
when the foliage of the growing G
beqins TO cover we'll the surface OF
soil cultivation may be suspended.
POSITION OF THE BEET IN THE Sol
at is important not only th'
sugar beet-should be OF proper
and shape, but also that 1t be gre
in such manner as 10 secure
protection of the soil Tor all It's P
except the neck and foliage.
proper position for the beet to occ
in the soil at the end 81 growth
PERPENDICULAR position. This posi-
can only be secured for the bee
growing it in soil sufficiently
vlous to permit OF the penetratio
the taproot to great depth. u II
this reason that subsoiling Tor
preparation OF field Tor the grow
sugar beets is Of such great i'm
lance. If the beet, in It's gro
should meet practically imperv
subsoil at the depth OF or ~ inc
the taproot will be DETECTED iror
course, lateral roots will be develo
the beet will become distigured
distorted in it's shape and the u
portion of it will be pushed from
ground. Experience has shown
the content OF sugar in those por
of the beet that has been pu
.abeve the ground is very greatly
minished.