Sugar Beet Investigations. 



'8s 



Wliile the yield was somewhat low, yet this can be accounted for 

 by the fact that the subsoil has been so thoroughly loosened some- 

 what late in the spring that capillary action was not fully restored and 

 hence the beets failed to make as large a growth as would have been 

 the case had the conditions been more favorable. 



The effect of the fertilizer is not marked. The largest yield was 

 on Plat 14 where the untreated phosphate rock was applied. The 

 highest quotient of purity was found on Plat 1 1 where the complete 

 fertilizer was applied. The results from the fertilizer are not marked 

 enough to warrant the drawing of conclusions. There was evidently 

 all the plant food in the soil that could be utilized with the amount of 

 moisture present. The experiment will be continued to see if more 

 detinite results can be reached. 



Mr. J. W, Gilmore, conducted culture and fertilizer experiments 

 with sugar beets on eight plats of one-eightieth of an acre each. The 

 land selected upon which to conduct these experiments was a portion 

 of the regular mangold field which had been liberally fertilized with 

 barn manures in previous years and brought to a high state of culti- 

 vation. The variety of beets was Kleinwanzlebener, planted in rows 

 two feet apart and thinned to about eight inches in the row. The 

 fertilizer was applied in the drill at the time of planting. Part of the 

 plats received cultivation five times and others were cultivated seven 

 times. The following table shows results: 



Plat 



1 



2 



3 

 4 

 5 

 6 



7 

 8 



No. 

 times 



culti- 

 vated. 



Fertilizer applied per acre. 

 Pounds. 



160 lbs. Muriate Potash. 

 320 lbs. Superphosphate. 



160 lbs. Nitrate Soda 



320 lbs. Superphosphate 

 160 lbs. Sulfate Potash.. 

 320 lbs. Superphosphate 



160 lbs. Nitrate Soda 



160 lbs. Sulphate Potash 



Tons 



per 



acre 



with 



crown. 



19.63 

 21.70 

 19.02 

 19 95 

 21.82 

 23.31 

 18.12 

 21.74 



Tons 

 per 

 acre 

 with- 

 out 

 crown . 



14.86 

 16.38 

 14.36 

 15.06 

 16.48 

 17.60 

 13.68 

 16.41 



Per 



cent, 



sugar 



in juice 



14.48 

 14.63 

 14.80 

 14.14 

 13.40 

 13.67 

 14.34 

 12.88 



Quo- 

 tient of 

 purity. 



79.04 

 76.85 

 80.00 

 76.00 

 76.19 

 76.76 

 77.60 

 74.20 



The results shown here from the use of the commercial fertilizer are 

 not much more decided than in the former case. While the tonnage 



