Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-07-14
SUGAR BEET SEED.


esaffty In Sugar Beet Seed and How
the Seed In Produced.
The quality of sugar beet seed is so
important to the grower that the fol-
lowing information issued from the Of
ice Of the secretary of agriculture is
interesting:
Mother Beets.-These mother beets
are planted on very carefully prepared
land In rows and on areas three feet
BY three feet. different varieties being
isolated. Each beet has a number or
designation that follows 1t throughout
Its test and growth.
Mother Beet Seed.-The resultant
crop Of seed from these selected moth
ers is known as the mother beet seed
and is the seed from which is produced
q new crop of mothers for beginning
another series Of examinations and Sc
lections.
Elite" Seed--Most Of this mother
beet seed, however. u used In the pro-
duction Of commercial beet seed. Ii is
planted In rows twelve inches apart,
and after the beets come up they are
thinned to t~wenty-four plants to the
foot. This will Of course produce very
small beets, about three fourths to an
Inch In diameter. These small beets
(called Stecklinger) are sliced I'm the
fall. In the spring they are set out In
areas three feet by three feet.
These beets produce the crop OF seed
that goes into the market, furnishing
the seed for the farmers who grow the
beets for the factories. 1t is known as
@elite" seed. or "a" seed. 1t is the best
iced procurable for growing beets.
Second Class Seed.-It appears that
there is 'shoddy" In every kind Of
business. There IL no exception in
beet seed. The responsible beet seed
growers of Europe furnish this stand
ard "A" or "~elite," seed to those who
call for It. 1t Ii much more expensive,
but 1t liz the seed that should be used
In all cases. The closer akin the seed
II to the selected mothers the higher
viii be the quality Of the beets. There
y another class Of growers. however,
who plant out this 'elite" seed and
grow another crop Of small mother
beets similar to the first. These are
planted the following spring, produc
Ing a crop Of second class S~tecklinger,
which are planted out. producing seed
the same az in the Ease Of the first
class S~tecklinScr. This removes this
second class seed two generations from
the original selected mothers. As with
constant selection there IL a great
tendency In beets to degenerate in
sugar and purity, 1t must be apparent
mat this second class seed 10 very
much inferior to the selite." Much Of
e, however. reaches this country ana
p planted. producing many Of our
OF beets.
Third Class Seed.-There is another
Of growers" $50 called who do
not produce seed at all, but who assem-
bic seed much the same az Ia done In
he general seed business in this coun-
~. This second class seed ID bought
70. mixed with old seed on hand ana
disposed Of under the advertisement or
"extensive beet seed grower.
e must appear evident that Z treat
OF care should b exercised, a he
selection Of beet seed - vitality impor
ANT to the factories q this country.
Inereass - CsrA Dzpes<s.
The exports Of corn from Argentina
from Jan. ! 70 April .. 1904. have been
A21e.0Q0 bushels AGAINST 100000
oushels for he corresponding period
Int year.
During the eight months ended Feb
=. 1eoe l1,71l,o8S bushels Of ccrn, val
q Q22619.So4, mere exported from
Omitted States. Last year during
ne period the exports were 81.
ppshels' valued It e21,57l.0eoI