Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-06-01
BEET CULTIVATION
EXPERIMENTS IN COLORADO
Conclusions Announced by the Expert
ment Station at Fort Collins.
BY ". II. Olln.

ticed by our most successful sugar
beet growers. question circulars were
sent to 1000 beet growers well distrib'
uted In three beet regions Of the state:
northern Colorado. Arkansas valley
and the western slope region. These
growers were slected as representing
the growers who were obtaining the
best tonnage and therefore getting the
most profitable crop returns. The cir
culars were sent out In June and Oc
tober OF the crop season 1908.
II IL to be regretted that many to
whom this circular was sent neglected
to send In reports. Less than nifty per
cent. sent In u complete report from
which We can quote. From the replies
sent In to these question circulars. the
following facts were CLEANED:
/. Flowing OF Beet Ground-fifty'
four per cent. Of those reporting. plow
their beet ground In the spring: TWEEN
ty-six per cent. plow their beet ground
In the fall: twenty per cent. Irregular.
part Of the time spring plowins ana
occasionally disked potato ground.
.. Date Of Secding.-Bctwecn hrst
week In April and first week In June.
sixty.one per cent. seed In the month
of May.
J. Amount Of Seed Per Acrc.-The
amount Of seed used was from twelve
to twenty-five pounds per acre. The
great majority reported using fifteen
to twenty pounds per acre.
4. Help Prcferrcd.-foriy'six per
cent. Of those reporting preferred Rus
sian labor. No particular class Of Ia
borcrs received u satisfactory vote
from the rest.
8. Space Trimmed In Rows.-This
varied from six TO sixteen inches. tho
average being 1914 inches.
The majority reported from ten 10
twelve inches. Further work II n"ccs'
sary on this point. The table clearly
shows the advantage In point of yield
for the wider spaces In tn. row.
q. Number OF CuitiyationH.-foriy'
four per cent. cultivate four To hNc
times. Thirty on" yer cent. cultivate
nix to seven times. Twenty-Five pcr
cent. stated they cultivated two. three.
eight. ten or ah many iimcn m the crop
seemed to require cultivation.
:. Times tTTisnt.i.-flfiyshis per
cent. report two to three times. eight
cen per cent report four times; nii-cn
per cent. report often M needed.
From answers sent no definite data
on yields could be- obtained.
=. To the question. DO itret Crops
Require More or I.rsa Water Than
Other Field Crop thlTty- p-r
cent. said NOR. water. thirty per cent.
said itAs water: thlTiy'on per cphI
said same m other cropH.
.. Value Of Aurr Crop. Tops. Etc
In answer TO this question. SiS'y'hyc
per cent. placed the value between ..
and 81 per acre. ~hii- the average
value assigned ~ss - pcr acre.
10. TonnhE. for isoi.-Thr average
for those reporting vas is.t tons per
mere, The state average for the same
year ~aA less than twelve tons.
IL, Tonnage for is1s.-Th- average
Yield reported was fourteen and one.
half tons Per acre. which IL several
tons above the estimated aV"Tasc II
the state. This would indicate that
1904 was a moT- favorable year for
beet culture than 1905. and that those
reporting are among our most success
fui farmers In this industry.
IL, EXPENSE Per Acr-.-Thc -x'
p-nsr differed according ,o locality
from $50 To $50. but the average vas
tl5.os per acre.
II, Ne, Profit Of the CTup.-Thc rc'
ports varied to a remarkable degree.
from nothing to sss per acre. !, was
almost impossible to strike an average.
the greater number reporting between
$40 and sss per acT-.
-. To the question. Number 81
Years Bccis Have itcrn Grown on the
Same Ground without Change o'
Crop7- the average was two years.
However. most Of these farmers have
been growing bccts but two years.
Is. To the question. DO You Ma
nur. Your BCct I.andg" hfiy.nine per
cent. report they do. forty.onc pCf
cent. report they do not.
is. Is the Crop a Satisfactory One
EIGHTY per cent ot the reporting
farms declare u to he the most profit.
able crop which they can grow. The
following statements are given by
farmers having at icas, four years OF
successful experience in sugar bee,
cul,uTu:
1. The sugar bee, crop Is an cSpen'
sive one 10 grow and should be grown
on the very best land ON the farm.
2. One should not bring TO the SUI.
face more than two inches Of new soil
in plowing. Ground which has not
been worked holds its plan; food In a
form not easily available To the plant.
The young beet plan, does not obtain
proper nourishment from such soil
and is checked in the beginning Of Its
growth. When proper conditions pre-.
vail. beet Eroand should be plowed a,
least ten to twelve inches deep. When
beet land Is piowed in the fall. the soil
is wcathcrcd. rendering plant fcod at
surface easily available to young
plants.
Z. Beet ground should be az uni.
formly level as the lay of the land will
permit.
4. Early. planted beets have gen.
orally given the best yields. The seed
bed should he warm. moist. bu, no,
wet. for the best termination.
s. a uniform stand is seldom oh.
tanned when seed Is covered more than
two inches deep. The vitality of the
beet seed does no, seem to be suffi.
cient 10 send the sprout out Of the
........., t.,,,,, ,,.r.,,r .t,u.b. Nniu,uro