Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1905-06-16
ALMA SUGAR COMPANY.

The following letter was received
from one of our customers last week
which shows the possibilities that may
be attainted from late sown beets:
Breckenridge, Mich, June >. 1905
Alma Sugar Company.
Alma, Mich,
DEAR Sms:-
Well, this il rather wet weather for
farmer. | expect YOU people felt il also
background in this part of the section is
almost lake, but il won't take long
when il stops raining for the most of the
water will be gone. Some. and in fact
many. have just finished drilling their
beets, and if the water lays on the
ground and sOakes down, it will leave
the ground so hard when the seed is
sprouted that il cannot come through.
had two acres drilled and il came a
dashing rain. Ii packed the top very
hard and where some seeds were sprouted
others were up three quarters of an inch
high. put my spike tooth harrow on
the ground, set il slanting and narrowed
them over diagonal. did a good job.
1t was a good as one cultivation and
much easier and quicker done. This
will be the case with many beet fields
after this rain. People that drill lots Of
seed per acre will have the best stand q.
drilled 81 lbs. per acre and where they
are through il goes 70 show that the
more seeds the easier and quicker they
will come up. The first year we raised
beets We had bad luck with the first
seeding. They did not come up evenly
There were skips in the rows from eight
10 ten feet. We had in two acres. Well
we dragged them up and thought it was
too late for beets We concluded We
would fit the ground over for beans.
We narrowed il over once or twice
week Just as the small weeds came up.
When we We're ready 10 drill the beans,
we made up our mind that We would
try one acre of beets and one acre Of
beans, SO we got some more beet seed
and drilled them in. II was the 2ith
day of June. The beets did not come
up until we had good old shower the
4th of July which sprouted the seed and
we had good stand. The beans came
up also and we cultivated the two crops
nearly alike. and thinned out the beets
talI MD haNA afNs
weeds TO bother a. the ground had been
worked over 50 much that the weeds
We're all killed and the beets grew very
fast. We harvested the beets and hauled
them TO the factory and received nearly
5000 per acre We harvested about
20 bushels Of beans We thought the
beets paid ~ well for being planted so
late
know neighbor last year 70 have
drilled his beets a. late a. the 18th Of
June. The ground was dry and they
did not come up so he could thin until
after the middle of July. After they
were thinned they were cultivated from
two 10 three times week until they
We're so large that they did not need II
any more. When il came harvest time,
the neighbor was surprised. He had
more beets than he expected. When
they were delivered at your factory, he
had - tons of beets from the acre.
What better crop could a farmer raise
putting il ont so late a. that The frost
can't hurt them nor the wet won't either
If it hurts beets il surely will hurt some
thing else worse
Ihave three acres yet / would like to
plant to corn. but if it keeps 30 wet, |
will put il TO tsets if il j. not until the
4th of July. Yours truly,
MAHLoN FIDLER