The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-10-29
HOME GROWN
BEET SEEDS
Result Of Experiments by the Expert.
ment Station Of the
U. A. C.

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After twelve years Of scientific
breeding, the agronomy department
of the experimental station at the
Utah Agricultural College Of Logan
has produced superior strain of su
gar beet seed which, 1t is believed by
DR.. Franklin s. Harris, director to
be far superior to any imported seeds
While this superior seed was produc
ed this fall at the college, It will be
a number of years yet before CONNER.
cial qualities can be used. Only a
pound of the seed was secured from
the twelve years Of experimentation
This pound, however, will produce
! mother plants for commercial seed
which will be superior to any ever
bred.
The breeding Of sugar beet seed
is a tedious task, says DR.. Harris,
who has had the direction OF the ag-
ronomy work at the experimental sta
ton for the past number of years.
At the Utah station at the Logan Ag-
ricultural College the breed Of sugar
beet seed that has been produced on
commercial scale Is equal, II not
superior to the imported seed. In a
number of instances this seed has
been tested out and found to be gu
perior. to the imported seeds.
While the experiment station at 10
gan has been raising sugar beet seed
on a commercial scale, 1t takes u
great number of years to get a sup
ply and there is but a small amount
on hand at the present time, de-
clares DR.. Harris. He says there is
but small quantity on hand in COM
parison with the amount needed for
planting in the state.
The sugar companies have secured
seed from the experiment station and
are using 1t to produce the mother
plant for beet seed. This, DR.. Har-
ris declares, should not be done as
the mother plants should 60 through
q series of tests before the seed Is
taken for planting. Poor quality of
sugar beets will be secured by TAX.
ing seed directly from the mother
plants without testing them out in
all cases, the breeding of beets for
seed takes many years.
The high grade of seeds secured by
DR.. Harris after twelve years l,Of
breeding and selecting will go much
higher in per cent of sugar than any
ever planted in Utah. The seed will
produce beets far superior to those
produced from imported SEEDS and
will do much to make the sugar seed
growing an industry In Utah.
DR.. Harris urges. however. that
special provisions for testing out
mother plants through a number OF
years should be made in the state II
the sugar beet seed industry takes
hold in Utah. Unless this is done,
the industry will never succeed.
At the present time some compan
les In the state are importing the
mother seeds at an expense Of IS
per pound and raising seeds. It takes
two years after that to raise seeds
for commercial purposes in the state
here SO that this practice is not prof
table unless the price Of sugar beet
seed is kept high.
While the new quality Of seed pro.
duced by the experiment station Of
the Utah Agricultural College must
undergo numerous years of tests and
selecting before being used as moth
er plants for beet seed on CONNER.
cial scale, the high quality Of sugar
beet seed has been produced and has
been proven at the college to be far
superior in sugar than the best i'm.
ported types.