The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-05-19
Sugar Beet Culture.

SN4dI 1CrA AuitlfSs
While Il Is true that in all sections
sugar beets cannot be prohtably
Gfown on account of soil and climatic
conditions, yet there is a wide belt
running through the northern states,
froLi New York to Minnesota, where
II Is a safe industry to consider. The
proper selection Of soil upon which
the beets are to be grown is the first
essential 10 successful beet culture.
Not only is the top soil Of importance.
but the subsoil as well. A subsoil
rich In lime, a clay or sandy loan,
which will hold moisture well 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 well as very light sands should be
avoided. Fall plowing seems TO be
a favorable practice in the beet belt
and II It has been plowed in the fall
TO a depth OF six inches or over and
has not settled too much. it need not
be replowed In the spring, but har-
rowed as soon as soil conditions Will
permit, and a dust mulch established
10 preserve the winter moisture. II
necessary TO plow again IN the spring,
1t should be done early and each half
days plowing should be narrowed and
rolled. so that the chance OF drying
. out viii be reduced 20 the minimum.
While II is desirable to have rich
soil. II should not be manured the
same spring as planted. as this has a
tendency due to the nitrogenous
content, TO a4use the beets TO make
too rapid a growth without becoming
sufficiently rich In sugar. Since the
purpose In the growth OF sugar beet
is 70 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 a 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
gen provided should be in quickly
available forms such as nitrate OF am.
monia compounds and applied early
The potash ehc.lA We IN the form Of
sulphate an1 from 100 10 $50 pounds
per acre is proper application.
Good results follow the use Of phos.
phoric acid derived from superphos-
phate. The mineral fertilizers are
best applied the fall previous to plant
ing or al 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 win vary
slightly with the season, usually
around the beginning Of May The
soil should be puiverlzed to q depth oi
four or i've inches: then packed well.
The best way 20 plant IS across the
last harrow marks, using a beet seeaer
drill This drills four rows at a time,
sixteen. eighteen or twenty inches
apart. The seed should not be GOV.
cred more than a half or one inch
deep. Eighteen pounds Of seed are re.
qulred 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 de-
veloped, punching should begin--i. O.,
hoeing out the beets before thinning,
leaving litsle lunches about two inch
es wide and six or seven inches apart.
After another cultivation. the lunches
are thinned After thinning they
should be cultivated from a week or
ten days to keep out the weeds aud
preserve the moisture The heets are
laid BY" when the cultiya,or cannot
be run without breaking on the
leaves.-D. l. Duncan IN Farmers Re-
view.