Sugar Beet Investigations. 171 



ing somewhat different characteristics and adapted to different classes 

 of soils. Some are noted for their high percentage of sugar, but are 

 light croppers, and are best suited for those localities where the ten- 

 dency is to grow too large a crop of coarse beets low in sugar. Others 

 are better croppers but not so high in sugar, and are adapted to soils 

 where the tendency is to produce too light a crop of very rich beets. 

 The Vilmorin and the Dervaux are among the very rich varieties but 

 are rather light croppers ; the Kleinwanzlebener, the Dippe and the 

 ' Metta Kleinwanzlebener are among the medium croppers with a good 

 percentage of sugar, while the Deprez and the Eloir are heavy crop- 

 pers but rather low in sugar. The Kleinwanzlebenerand the Vilmorin 

 have been most grown m this country, and seem to be best adapted to 

 our soil and conditions. 



Seeding. — For good results it is very necessary to get a good stand. 

 Without it the yield will be unsatisfactory and many of the beets, hav- 

 ing too much room, will be overgrown, resulting in a low percentage 

 of sugar and purity. 



It is customary to sow about twenty pounds of seed per acre, though 

 if it all grows this is many times more than is needed. If dry weather 

 follows the planting, only the best of the seed will germinate; if a 

 crust is formed before the plants are up, they help one another to break 

 through, hence the chances are much better for getting a good stand 

 with heavy than with light seeding. 



A machine that will drop with accuracy three or four seeds in a place 

 at such distances apart as experience shows is best for different soils, 

 will not only save seed, but will tend to secure an even spacing of the 

 plants in the row and greatly reduce the labor of thinning and weed- 

 ing. In heavy or damp soils the seed should not be covered more 

 than one-half to three-fourths of an inch, in light dry soils one to two 

 inches. The soil should be firmed over the seed, the degree to be 

 determined by its character, light soils requiring more compacting than 

 heavy ones. On most soils best results are obtained by planting in 

 rows from 18-22 inches apart. If the rows are much farther apart 

 than this the beets cannot use all the space and the yield is lessened, or 

 if a good yield is secured it is by growing large beets at the expense 

 of quality. 



Such narrow rows, however, are difficult to cultivate except for those 

 accustomed to the work and having machinery especially designed for 



