400 Bulletin 182. 



occurred. The whole surface of the ground was covered with a 

 layer of hail from one to two inches deep. The hail rapidly melted 

 and the surface of the ground was made very wet. The effect upon 

 the beets was most disastrous. The soil wliich had become depleted 

 -of its humus was compacted and the crust was so hard that the small 

 beet plants were unable to force their way through. An attempt 

 was made to break the crust by means of garden rakes, but the beet 

 seed was covered so shallow that the plants were rooted near the 

 surface and the soil directly over the young plants could not be dis- 

 turbed without uprooting the plants and thus destroying them. It 

 finally became apparent that a satisfactory stand of beets could not 

 be secured upon all the plats and it was decided to plow and replant 

 them so there would be secured a somewhat uniform stand of 

 beets. 



The second iiilanting. — All beet plats were plowed June 5, and 

 harrowed once with the spring tootli harrow and once with the spike 

 tooth harrow and the beet seed was planted in rows 20 inches apart. 

 Plats 21, 22, 23 and 24 were planted to Biendorf's Elite Kleinwan- 

 zlebener sugar beet seed. On plats 25, 26 and 27 there were planted 

 fourteen rows of Zehringen Elite beet seed from Germany, grown 

 by Dippe Brothers ; twelve rows were planted to Zehringen Elite 

 sugar beet seed from Germany, grown by Sferandes ; eight rows were 

 planted to Zehringen beet seed and sev^en rows were planted t6 

 variety Mangold. 



Object of experiineyit. — Upon plats 21, 22, 23 and 24 the object 

 was to determine the effect upon the growth and yield of the beets 

 of thiiming at various times. With many farmers who grow beets 

 for the factory it is often impossible to thin all the beets at the time 

 of growth which has been recommended as most favorable. Owing 

 to the large area to be thinned or to the pressure of other work the 

 beets are often neglected for some time. Upon plats 25, 26 and 27 

 the experiment was simply a variety test. 



Methods of tillage and thinniyig on plats 21^ ^^, ^3 and ^If,. — 

 The first tillage given the beets was on June 30, when a hand 

 weeder was used on all plats. This weeder had the knife blade 

 attachments which loosened the soil close to the plants and destroyed 

 small weeds near the beets. 



