The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-03-16
Twenty and Twenty-Eis Inch Rows.

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We have been asked by many farm
ers, as well as others, to give our ex
perience in planting beet in twenty
inch and twenty-eight inch rows.
Two years ago there was planted
within wagon haul of our factory about
one hundred acres in 2S inch rows and
comparison showed both tonnage and
sugar per cent in favor of the % inch
rows. The farmers who planted thi:
width row the first year, under no cir
cumstances, could be induced to plant
any other width row. The farmers
who last year planted their beets in
twenty eight inch rows claim in every
case, that this is the only way to plant
beets.
The advantage of 90 inch rows over
20 inch rows might be summed up as
follows:
First The farmers have their grain
drills (and in nine cases out of ten
these will SOW in 90 inch rows) and
with very little care in using set of
press wheels, beet seed can be put in the
ground as well as with beet drill.
Second. Farmers have their cultiva.
tors, such as they are using for corn
and beans, which we know cannot be
surpassed, and by using the shields and
adjusting the teeth no weeds can re-
main and the ground can be thoroughly
cultivated at any time.
Third-Beets can be cultivated much
longer in % inch rows, therefore, a
mulch can be formed in case of dry
weather and grass and weeds that may
start before thorough cultivation can
be commenced, can easily be pushed to
one side with the cultivator and not
interfere with the small beet plants as
the cultivator has chance in the wide
rows to push them to one side or the
other, while in the narrow rows they
become clogged and have no chance to
pass by
Fourth. Beets in % inch rows can
be taken care of much cheaper than in
90 inch rows. A saving can certainly
be made of from So to 81 per acre
Fifth. From three different expert
ments which we had last year the 20
inch row showed just little better
results than the 90 inch rows, both as to
tonnage and sugar per cent. The ex-
periments were as follows:
On 104 acres Of 90 inch rows, grown
by fourteen different contractors in
different parts of the county, we had an
average tonnage of 1888 tons per acre
and an average sugar per cent of 16.
On 81 acres of % inch rows. grown by
eleven different contractors in different
parts of the county, we had an average
tonnage of 12 A tons per acre and an
average sugar per cent Of 16.2.
Our records of ,beets harvested or To-
Gated a short distance from our factory
show we had $50 acres of 2s inch rows.
The average tonnage was 8 tons and
the average sugar per cent was 15.9
amounting to $3.50 per ton.
We had in the same town in twenty
inch rows 122 acres, from which we re-
ceived an average tonnage of $50 tons
per acre, but the sugar per cent aver
aged 15.2 or only s5.5S per ton.
Our records of beets harvested for
1905 show 2,491 acres in % inch rows
with an average sugar per cent of Is. o
or $5.7S per ton; 5,033 acres in 90 inch
rows with an average sugar per cent of
10, or $3.50 per ton.
The 2S inch rows produced an aver.
age of 100 pounds more beets to the
acre than the 90 inch rows.
The 2S inch row beets averaged 8
per cent more sugar than the 30 inch
rows.
The value of the crop grown in % inch
rows averaged SEQ more per acre than
the 30 inch rows.
Another point which is fact con-
ceded by all authorities, is that sugar
is taken on from the sunshine and at
mosphere. If the beets shade each
other, as they do in the narrow rows,