The Cook County herald., 1904-06-04
Sugar Beet Culture.

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While it is true that in all sections
sugar beets cannot be >prQftably
grown on account of soil and climatic
conditions, yet there. is a wide belt
running through the northern states,
from New, York to Minnesota, where
it is a safe industry to consider. The
proper selection of soil upon which
the beets are to be grown is the first
essential to successful beet culture.
Not only is the top soil of Importance,
but the subsoil as we'll. A subsoil
rich In lime, a clay or sandy loan,
which will hold moisture we'll in
dry season, are the best, providing
they are well drained. The top soil
should be fertile, easily tillable and
free from stones; very heavy clays
as we'll as very light sands should be
avoided. FaH plowing seems to be
favorable practice in the beet belt
and if it has been plowed in the fall
to depth of six inches or over and
has not settled too much, it need not
be replow,ed in the spring, but har-
roWed as soon as soil conditions will
permit, and dust mulch established
to preserve the winter moisture. If
necessary to plow again in the spring,
it should be done early and each half
days plowing should be narrowed and
rolled, so that the chance of drying
out will be reduced to the minimum.
While it is desirable to have rich
soil, it should not be manured the
same spring as planted, as this has a
tendency due to the nitrogenous
content, to cause the beets to make
too rapid growth without becoming
sufficiently rich in sugar. Since the
purpose in the growth of sugar beet
is to obtain the largest total yield of
sugar per acre, and inasmuch as the
sugar content of the beet as well as
the right growth and development is
very largely Influenced by the char
acter of the fertilization. this matter
becomes of very considerable i'm
portance. The sugar beet draws
heavily upon the soil for nitrogen and
potash, 20-ton per acre crop, remov.
ing 100 pounds of nitrogen. and 1872
pounds of potash. Phosphoric acid is
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.
available forms such as nitrate or am.
monia compounds and applied early.
The potash should be in the form of
sulphate and from 100 to $50 pounds
per acre is proper application.
Good results follow the use of phos-
phoric acid derived from superphos'
phate. The mineral fertilizers arc
best applied the fall previous to plant.
ing or at any rate quite early in the
spring, while the nitrogen may be
used as a top dressing after the
plants are up.
The time for planting will vary
slightly with the season, usually
around the beginning of May. The
soil should be pulverized to depth of
four or five inches; then packed we'll.
The best way to plant is across the
last harrow marks, using beet seeder
drill. This drills four rows at a time
sixteen, eighteen or twenty inches
apart. The seed should not be COW
cred more than a half or one inch
deep. Eighteen pounds of seed are re-
quired per acre if the rows are eight
cen inches apart and twenty pounds if
sixteen.
Cultivation is to begin as early as
the plants are above the ground.
After the third or fourth leaf has de-
veloped, punching should begin-i. e.,
hoeing out the beets before thinning,
leaving little punches about two inch
es wide and six or seven inches apart.
After another cultivation, the punches
are thinned. After thinning they
should be cultivated from week or
ten days to keep out the weeds and
preserve the moisture The beets are
laid by" when the cultivator cannot
be run without breaking off the
leaves.-D. l. Duncan in Farmers Re.
view.