Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-06-12
BEET CULTURE
BUNCHlNG AND THINNING
JESSIE II. BUFFUM
In the Beet S0gar Gazette

tiCie Is discussion OF that process
of beet culture known as punching
and thinning" there is, nevertheless,
an operation frequently Of great i'm
portance that precedcs this work, and
that found no place in my discussion
of last month on preparation of the
seed bed. now refer to crusting
of the surface following hard rains
or irrigation, where suci: was neces.
safy beore the young beets put in
their appearance. Experienced grow
eers,. as is well known by everyone
having to do with the raising of 6sets
for two reasons principally. First
plication of water between seeding
time and the first appearance of the
beets results, usually, in an almost
fatal crust. Yet the seed ball must
have sufficient moisture for germi-
nation; and il the grower knows that
it has not, what is he to do! Water
his beets, Of course, and take the
consequences. shall now cite the
experiences of two beet farmers as
an example, actual instances, by the
way:
One grower complied with all the
ideal requirements governing a thor
ough preparation of his seed bed.
The soil was in fair condition OF
moisture, but would have benefited
by additional water. Every opera
ton of the soil had been completed,
and with a promised rain seed was
rushed into the ground. No rain fell
and at the end of three weeks the
young beets had not appeared. An
examination revealed the fact that
sprouting had been perfect but de-
layed. Then the field was irrigated.
which was the proper thing to do;
sprouting rapidly increased, but a
hot sun and high altitude produced
so rapid evaporation that a. hard
consequence that the beets could
not push through. Now thoroughly
disguised with his i'll luck, the grow
er plowed up the ground and ran in q
crop of corn. =
Grower number occupied an adj
joining patch. and, being equally ef-
ficient with his neighbor, and having
effected the same preparation OF his
soil and seed bed, met with the same
identical conditions. His -beets-v-.re
planted the same day. therefore had
the same moisture environment. Al
the end of three weeks no beet
sprouts had appeared. Having con-
nection with the same ditch as his
neighbor, he irrigated. This move.
while supplying the moisture for
which the terminating balls were
famishing, likewise brought evil with
the good. Grower number 2. how
ever, was not satisfied with an aban-
donment of his crop. He therefore
exercised his ingenuity with the in
tention of breaking up the fatal crust.
His purpose was accomplished by
the use of . very light harrow, with
teeth sloping backward. This he
used even after the beets were up.
and while a few plants were torn out.
the fact of its being done before
thinning Offset any appreciable de:-
operation is performed before the
sprouts are above ground. the har-
how should be run Icngthwisc Of the
rows. Then IL any seed balls are up
rooted and displaced they will. prob
ably, re-root and still make their ap-
pearance in the row line. whereas
had the harrow been operated cross
wise, a scattering growth would have
resulted. Grover number 2 secured
a fine stand of beets, though he had
received the jcers and predictions OF
failure from his neighbor.
So a large number of beet grow
ers have the above difficulty to con-
tend with that some method of de.
stroying this crust must be adopted
wherever it is not now in practice,
for the reason that a large number
of beet districts being in the irriga-
ton area, "irrigating-up' has ire
quently to be rcsortcd to. However,
this practice should not be encour-
aged save in the most extreme cir
cumstances. for the second important
objection to irrigation before beets
are up is that scrawny bcets arc ike
Iy to result, giving short, unsatisiac-
tory roofing and low sugar conten'
Of the beet.
At the agricultural end of the. beet
sugar industry there is no one thing
| that stands so conspicuously in the
way of progress and facility OF cul.
ture as punching and thinning.
| This operation is a sort of hoo-doc
among growers, and the problem Is
frequently approached and dealt witt
with more energy than care. Iech'
nically the operation is as follows
and while it sounds very simple. nev'
erthelcss the bane of beet growing .
spelled thereby:
| Just about as soon as the beets
are up. when they put forth fou'
leaves, punching and thinning be
gins. II is done in this way-Takins
one row at a time, the operator b,
use of a six or seven-inch hoe cut
out all surplus beets, leaving som'
healthy ones in little bunchcs. space.
about eight inches apart. In eaci
bunch there arc several healthy bcets
This operation is called blocking
or punching" Immediately follow
ing the first operator, comes a maj
on his hands and knees. His bust
ness is to remove all but one beet