Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-08-07
The northern purtsA of ON, GeosterI

The northern partsh Of our eastern |
and middle states and the states Nf !
Oregon and WashingtMH have at least |
an equal chance for the successful pro-
duction of beet sugar With the fields of |
Germany and FRANCE The irrigable !
parts Of the great southwest have ad- |
vantages of soil and climate which |
will enable them TO enter into compe- |
tition in the production OF beet sugar.
The high cost of good irrigation rem
ders it imperative that the areas under
culture be devoted to u crop which is
capable of producing more valuable
yield than is afforded by cereal culture.
If a net profit of from $40 to $40 per
acre can he secured, from 500 to 5000
per acre can be paid for the land. 1t
is estimated that nearly S0,O00,0O0
acres of land in the arid regions Of
the United States may eventually be
irrigated, being nearly one-fifth Of the
total area. OF this area perhaps 10
per cent is capable Of easy and speedy |
irrigation. Farmers who raise beets .
for a sugar factory are not left entire
)y to their own resources in growing |
: the crop. They enter into contract .
with the factory management which |
outlines the methods to be employed. |
Then the factory employs an agricul- |
tural superintendent and corps Of |
,, assistants whose duty it is to go among |
the growers giving instructions and
: suggestions regarding the selection and !
preparation of the soil, planting, cult
! walton, time Of harvesting, etc These
: men are of course we'll informed on all
!. phases of beet culture, and they are
usually able to make valuable sugges-
tons in regard to the cultivation of
y other crops grown in rotation with
beets. Their instructions and inlu-
J. ence therefore tend to improve the
/ farm practice of communities in which
l. sugar beets are grown.
4 The sugar beet does not require
II particular kind of soil for its proper
, production. In general soils are de-
!, scribed for practical purposes as
" clayey, sandy, loamy or aluvial soils.
All Of these soils will produce beets.
: The black prairie soils also have been
J. found with proper cultivation, to pro-
duce excellent beets.
d New land should not be selected to
" grow sugar beets for the crop is not
~ good retainer of soils And especial
, ly to be avoided Is new land contain
= ing decaying vegetable matter. which
" npoHtnne OnIt. pntntr trpntxfh with Inv
le sugar content Preferably the most
=; productive land on the farm should be
j. used, such soil as will yield a good
h. crop Of Indian corn, wheat or pota-
IT toes. The soil should neither be so
r compact as to interfere with cultiva-
L. ton to depth of ten or twelve inches
nor have tendency to bake hard.
Happily in most American soils there
Is still sufficient natural fertility to
q produce good crop of sugar beets,
\ whereas in the soils Of Europe, where
y sugar beets have been grown for years,
the farmers must depend on fertilizers
to insure rcmunerative crop.
Every farmer should understand that
he cannot continuously grow any crop
on the same ground and secure maxi
mum results. Beets do best after al
falfa, corn or small grains.
A good scheme of rotation is first
wheat then beets, then clover for two
years. the las. crcis Being plowed I'M
der; then potatoes, wheat and beets in
the order mentioned. If alfalfa can be
grown It should be included In the ro-
tation of crops: also In some sections
III potatoes do well in the rotation. Beets
n. do well after small grain crops, be.
"a cause these, being harvested early
r. leave the ground ready for late autumn
n blowing, an important point in success
M full beet culture.
n. The field in which beets are to be
st planted should be selected and plOwed
q. in the late autumn to the depth of n
n least nine inches. As rule, the pillow
a In each furrow should be followed by
20 subsoler, which will loosen the sol
o. to the depth Of six or seven inches
NJ more.
If Hand planting of the seed may bC
Of practiced when very small plat is t
" be put in beets, but where field EN-
s. braclng an acre or more is to be plant
ID ed it is not convenient In such cases
g. planting by drill is best.
h. The beets should be covered to {
n. depth of one-half inch to two inches
10 according to the state of the SOIL
10 In the matter of space between rows
of there is considerable variation. Ii
II some cases the rows are made only
III sixteen inches apart and in others a:
nd wide as twenty-elght inches.
The cost of growing an acre of beet'
IN depends on so many varying factors a.
n to render 1t impossible to give an est
no mate which is reliable for every local
II. ity.
nv 1t Is probable that the actual cost {,
II our farmers for the first few years o
he the beet Industry did not exceed $25 {,
,ut $50 per acre and in many instances fel
mi below these figures.
,ot 1t is reasonably certain, accidents o
Tor season aside, that net profit of iron
he IS TO SO per acre may be eXpecte
NJ. from the proper culture Of the suga
no.. beet In localities near factory whe
nll the conditions of the best method
,ra OF culture are fulfilled.
In The byproducts from beet culture o
&c the farm are the tops and leaves, whic
M are commonly used for feeding cattle
In Some farmers, however, turn ther
-, under as fertilizer When used as
70 feed the beet tops can be eaten by tn
~ cattle on the field where they hav
a. been grown. If they are fed in stall
-. the manure should be returned to tn,
!, field.
IT.