The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-07-24

fOrnla, the SUCCESSFUL cOinmcrclal pro
ductiou of sugar bects IN Utah aud Col
orado hns opened n new aud extensive
field. What has taken place In these
states Is being rapidly duplicated In
Idaho. a beginning has been made In
Montana. aud the time l. undoubtedly
coming when bccts will he grown In
Wyoming and probably throughout the
whole arid region.
The northern parts Of our eastern
and middle states and the states Of
Oregon and Washington have at least
an equal chance for the successful pro
ductiun of beet sugar with the fields Vt
Germany aud France The irrigable
parts Of the great southwest have adj
vantages Of soil aud climate which
will enable them to enter into compe-
tition In the production Of beet sugar.
The high cost Of good irrigation rem
ders 1t imperative that the areas under
culture be devoted 10 crop which Is
capable Of producing more valuable
yield than H. afforded 10y cereal culture.
II net profit ~ from $40 to $50 per
acre can be secured from 500 to 500
per acre can bc paid for the land, Il
is estimated that nearly SOOOO.OO0
acres OF land iu the arid regions Of
the United States may eventually be-
irrigated, being nearly one.hfth Of the
total area. Of this area perhaps 20
per cent Is capable ~ easy and speedy
irrigation Farmers who raise bcets
for sugar factory are not lett entire
~ 10 the,v own resources In growing
the crop rhcy enter into contract
with the factory management which
outlines a methods 10 be- employed
Then the '1Htury employs an ngricul
tural surc' u,cndcut and corps ~
assistants hose duty Il Is to 90 among
the grove' giving instructions and
suggestion, regarding tie selection and
preparation or the soil. planting, cult
walton. time NJ harvesting. etc. These
men are ~ course well Informed on all
phases 81 Itpt culture. and they are
usually able 20 make valuable sugge--
tons In regard To- the cultivation OF
other crops grown In rotation with
bcets TNgl. Instructions and innT-
ence Therefore tend to improve the
farm practice of communities In which
sugar bcrt- a'c grown
The sugar beet does not require "A
particular Kind Of soil for It's proper
production In general soils are de-
scribcd for practical purposes "a
olayey. sandy. loamy or alluvial soils
All Of these soils will produce bcets.
The black p-alrir soils also have been
found, with proper cultivation. TO pro-
ducc excellent hects.
New land should not bc selected to
grow sugar lccts for the crop Is not n
good retainer 81 soils And especial
ly 20 bc avoided is new land contain
Ing decuyIng vegetable matter. which
produces only rank growth with low
sugar content Preferably the most
productive inud on the farm should DO
used, such n soil as will yield n good
crop Of Indian corn. wheat or pota-
toes. The -ioil should neither he so
compact as 20 interfere with cultiya-
ton 10 n d,Tth OF ten or twelve inches
nor have tendency 10 bake hard.
Happily I'm most American soils there
Is still suih rient natural fertility to
produce a good crop OF sugar beets.
whereas In the soils of Europe. where
sugar beets Fave been grown for years.
the farmers must depend on fertilizers
10 insure u rcmunerative crop.
Every farTcr should understand that
be cannot continuously grow any crop
on the same ground and secure maxi
mum results. Beets do best after al
falfa. corn OF small grains.
A good scheme Of rotation Is first
wheat, then beets. then clover for two
years. the l,st crop being plowed I'M
der: then po at0cs wheat and beets in
the order mrltioned. II alfalfa can be
grown Il should he included I'm the ro-
tation 81 crops. also In some sections
potatoes do well I'm the rotation. Beets
do well after small grain crops. be-
cause thcsn. being harvested early.
leave the ground ready for late autumn
blowing an important point Ia success
full beet culture
The field In which bccts are To be
planted should bee selected and plowed
in the latn autumn To- the depth OF at
least nine ilches As rule. the pillow
In each furrow should bc followed by
subsoiler which will loosen the soil
TO the deprI Of six or seven inches
more
Hand planting Of the seed may he
practiced when a very small plat is to
be put I'm hects, but where field em-
bracing an acre or more is TO be plant
ed Il Is not convenient In such cases
planting by drill is best
The heets should be covered TO a
depth OF ons-half inch 10 two inches.
according 10 the state of the soil
In the matter Of space between rows
there il considerable variation. In
some cases tue rows are made only
sixteen inches apart and in others as
wide as twenty eight inches.
The cost Of growing an acre OF beets
depends on so many varying factors as
10 render Il impossible TO give an esti-
mate which Is reliable for every local
lty.
II Is probable that the actual cost TO
our farmers for the first few years OF
G,..N. a a A..