Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-01-02


farm crop into Wisconsin has met
with the usual obstacles that every
new agricultural industry must con
tend with before becoming estab-
lished, but it is most gratifying to
note the steady, healthy development
of sugar beet growing in this state
You are all familiar with the years
of hard work expended in getting the
dairy industry established, until
now it oyershadows nearly all others
in which our farmers are engaged
The lack of knowledge on the part OF
our Wisconsin farmers as to how
this crop should be grown and the
necessary preparation of the soil and
the several benefits to be derived.
was the greatest barrier and many
thousands of dollars and much per.
sistent labor have been expended on
the part OF the state and the sugar
factories, until now it has been dem
onstrated in nearly every part OF
Wisconsin that our soil and climate
are splendidly adapted to sugar beets
and the farmers can make a financial
success in growing them.
The Soil and its Preparation.
AS to the kind of soil upon which
beets can be grown, 1t may be broad
~ stated they will grow successfully
on any fertile, well cultivated soil
except very light sandy soil or light
muclzy land, if the field is reasonably
well drained
The field for sugar beets should be
carefully prepared in the fall II
possible it is best to plow under
good second crop Of clover and If
that is done it is only necessary to
plow once, but that should be deep,
and the blowing should be done not
later than early September.
II grain stubble is selected, it should
be plowed over about three or four
inches deep as soon after harvesting
the grain as possible and given a har-
rowing right after the blowing. This
will allow the foul seeds to sprout,
and another narrowing after the
weeds put IN an appearance will kill
most OF them and save much labor
the next year. Then a good coat OF
barnyard manure should be spread
over the field and in October it should
be plowed deep, eight to 10 inches,
depending upon how deep the field
has been plowed heretofore, as IT Is
rot wise to turn up more than an
inch OF green or unsubdued soil In
any one year. One thing should not
be reelected, and that is the running
Of water burrows to carry away your
surface water 50 the field may soon
dry up in the spring and allow you TO
get in II early. AS soon as the land
is sufficiently dry In the spring, It
should be gone over with a disc har-
row or spring tooth cultivator and
well worked up, this will warm up
the soil, conserve your moisture and
give the weeds a chance to sprou.
Then when you are ready to seed,
which will normally be from April
goth to May Goth, go over the field
again and cultivate 1t thoroughly 30
as to get a smooth, well pulverized
seed bed, and just before seeding go
over ii with float or plank, or. II
sandy soil, roller is all right.
The seeding can be done with a
garden drill or a regular two or four
row beet drill. Two very important
things should be noted here; the
seed should never be planted over
three-fourths of an inch deep, and
half an inch is better, and never less
than Is to 20 pounds to the acre
should be used The rows may be
from 20 to "a inches apart, that is
wide enough for horse cultivation.
cuItivstins the Crop.
Under primal conditions the plants
viii come up in from wen to IL
days after seeding, and as soon a.
you can see the rows you should go
through with a cultivator, a fine
tooth culivator or regular beet cui
tivator will do best
When the plants are up so they
have the fourth leaf, then start in TO
block out and thin, never wait longer
IL you can avoid it, as it Injuries the
plant and costs much more labor II
this work is delayed until the plants
get large
The person who does the blocking
takes a sharp hoe about seven oi
eight inches wide and cuts out the
plants, striking crosswise OF the row,
leaving little bunch Of plants, say
an inch long, between the strokes
and then the person thinning follows
and pulls out all but one plant In a
place, thus leaving beet every eight
to 10 inches apart After this work
is done. It Is only a question OF going
through frequently with a cultivator,
and, IL necessary, cutting out the
weeds.
The leaves grow rapidly and about
the last OF July or first of August the
rows close up and nothing more is
to be done until harvest.
Best Method Of Harvesting.
AS the sugar beet grows down n
the soil 1t is not possible to pull them
out by hand in harvesting until they
are loosened up. and the best tool |
know Of is subsoil pillow. or an old
piow with very narrow shear and
the mouldboard cut of at least half
way down. Drive the pillow immediate
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