Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-02-17
VALUABLE beet y
CULTURE SUGGESTIONS
Preparation of Seed Bed Re-
quires Attention
PLANTING ANOTHER
IMPORTANT STEP
Thinning Is the Most Delicate and
Important Operation and Should
Be Closely Watched

Be Closely Watched
The following suggestions on prep
aration of the soil for beet culture are
appropriate for the present time of
the year. and are worthy of rcproduc-
ton:
The most important point in order
to secure good stand is to thor
oughly prepare the seed bed. After
the field has been pulverized and har-
rowed, both in length and crosswise,
pack the top soil well for about two
to three inches in depth.
II water is expected sCpn after
planting, do not roll your land as the
rainfall will pack the surface soil suf-
ficicntly to insure uniform sprouting
of the beet seed. Prepare your land
as quickly as possible. and begin
planting Immediately after it is work
ed down, in order to avoid drying
out of the seed bed. as beet seed re-
quircs considerable moisture to pro-
duce termination.
The next important step in the cul-
tivation of sugar bcets is the plant
ing. Early in the season the farmer
drill to see that it is in perfect work
ing order when planting time arrives.
The time to plant depends upon the
season, as well as on the rainfall and
the nature, of the soil.
Not less than twenty pounds OF beet
seed to the acre should be planted
in order to secure good and profit
able stand under all conditions, be-
cause should dry weather prevail.
enough seed will generally germinatc
to make a satisfactory stand. Fur.
thermorc. should crust be formed
on the field after heavy rain, one
plant will help its ncighbor to break
through the crust. Therefore, sow
at least twenty pounds of seed per
acre.
We have noted from personal OBJ
servations that many Of the farmers
in our district are inclined to plant
the seed too deep. Beet seed should
never be planted more than three
fourths to one and onc-half inches
deep, care should be taken that the
soil is well packed around the seed
by the press wheels in order to draw
the moisture necessary for germina-
ton.
The deeper the seed is plantcd-and
especially so in heavy soil-thc weak
cr the plants will be. provided they
come up at all; therefore avoid deep
planting.
The next operation is the thinning.
We consider this the most delicate
and most important; in fact. the one
upon which the results OF the beet
crop largely depends.
The farmer. after having decided
upon the distance he wishes his beets
to be thinned. should stipulatc this
distance in the written agreement
with his thinning contractor, and ne
should closely supcrintend the work
in order to satisfy himself that 1t Is
being properly performed.
The most favorable distribution OF
the bcets in the field is as follows:
II planted in eighteen inch rows, by
thinning them eight inches apart, or.
il planted in sixteen inch rows, ny
thinning them nine inches apart:
which will give in either case n stand
OF 43.s6o bects to the acre.
We. OF course. cannot advise or
recommend an arbitrary distance be-
tween bcets, as much depends upon
the productivencss OF the land and
also on the cvcnness of the stand.
The average poor stand OF the last
year was due partly to the fact that
the bcets came up very uncvenly, ow-
ing to the irregular distribution OF
moisture. but it was also due to the
careless work of the thinners:
To sum up. we suggest IN order
to improve the stand Of beets and
consequently the gross returns of the
farmer:
First-To plant at least twenty
mounds of beet seed to the acre.
Second-To avoid planting too
deep.
Third-To stipulate in the thinning
contract the average distance between
beets in the row.
Four,h-To carefully supervise the
r Al th;rrars