The Yale expositor., 1904-05-20
SUGAR eeet Culture.

Nhlle ~ Us true that In all section.
ugar beets cannot be proftably
Tcwn on account OF soil and climatic
Conditions. yet there Is a wide belt
unnlng through the northern states.
rom New York to Minnesota. where
q is a safe Industry 10 consider. The
proper selection OF soil upon which
he bects ate 90 be grown Is the FIRST
essential to successful beet culture.
Not only Is the top soil OF importance.
lut the subsOil as well. A subsoil
ich In lime. a clay or sandy loan.
which will hold moisture well In
.ry season. are the best. providing
hey are well drained. The tup soil
ihould be fertile. easily tillable and
rec from stones: very heavy clays
as well as very light sands should be
wooded. Fall blowing seems 10 be
q favorable practice In the beet belt
nd " a. has been plnwed In the fall
q n depth OF six inches or over and
aas not settled too much. Il need not
be replowed In the spring. but bar.
rowed as soon as soil conditions will
permit. and a dust mulch established
10 preserve the winter moisture. II
necessary TO pillow again In the spring
q should be done early and each half
lays blowing should be narrowed and
.ol,ed, so that the chance OF drying
out will be reduced 20 the minimum.
While Il Is desirable TO have rich
soil. Il should not be MANFRED the
afrrrs h.a q
tendency due 90 the heterogeneous
content, 10 cause the beets "a make
TOO rapid a growth without becoming
sufficiently rich In sugar. Since the
purpose In the growth OF sugar beet
Is % obtain the largest total yield OF
sugar per acre. aud inasmuch as The
sugar content OF the beet as well n
the right growth and development g.
very largely influenced by the cnar
actcr 81 the fertilization. this matter
becomes OF very considerable ina
portancc. Tho sugar beet draw
heavily upon the soil for nitrogen And
potash. q cotton per acre crop. remoy
.lg 100 pounds OF nitrogen. and 10.
pounds Of potash. Phbsphoric acid T.
also needed especially during the ear
ly growth. As was stated. the rapid
growth should not be encouraged too
late In the season. therefore the nitro
gen provided should be In quickly
available forms such as nitrate or am
monia compounds and applied early
The potash should be In the form OF
aulphate and from 100 10 $50 pounds
per acre Is proper application
Good results follow the use OF phos.
phoric acid derived from superphus
plate. The mineral fertilizers are
Jcst applied the fall previous TO plant
ing or al any rate quite early Ia the
spring. while the nitrogen may be
used as top dressing after the
plants are up.
rhc time Tor planting will vary
slightly with the season. usually
around the beginning OF May. The
soil should be pulyerized to a depth OF
four or five inches. then packed well
The best way 90 plant Is across the
last harrow marks. using beet seedoI
riil This drills four rows at a time.
sixteen. eighteen or twenty Inches
apart. The seed should not be GOV
cred more than hall or ono inch
lcep Eighteen pounds OF seed are RI.
luirel per acre II the rows are eight
cen inches apart and twenty pounds Il
sixteen.
Cultivation Is to begin as early as
the plants are above the ground
After the third or fourth leaf has o.
yeIoped. punching should begin. e.
hoeins out the beets before thinning
leaving little lunches about two inch
as wide aud six or seven inches apart
After another cultivation, the punches
are thinned. After thinning they
should be cultivated from n week or
ION days 10 keep out the weeds and
preserve tho moisture. The beets are
laid by" when the cultiyator cannot
ne run without breaking on IN,
lcaves.-D. /. Duncan In Farmers Re
view.