BEET SUGAR. I77 



conclusively that both the soil and climate of Maine is most 

 excellently adapted for the cultivation of root crops, especially 

 for the sugar beet. 



But we have to pass from the considerations of general 

 principles regarding root and beet raising, to the special 

 features which we observed during the summer in the vicinity 

 of Presque Isle, where the cultivation of sugar beets has 

 received the most attention in the State of Maine. Every 

 farmer has been aware the enterprise was from some unavoid- 

 able cause started too late in the season, which left no choice 

 in the laud as to its adaptability for producing a root crop or 

 even a crop of anything, the farmer generally takes his best 

 land for the crop on which he counts most, using his manure 

 there, and attending to this crop first asd foremost ; the cul- 

 tivation of beets coming rather late in the season to the notice 

 of the farmer, had to be done on land left for no special 

 purpose, though as a general rule the farmers have done the 

 best they could under such circumstances. The late opening 

 of spring was soon followed by several weeks of severe 

 drought and intense heat, which put the whole beet culture 

 to a severe test. Taking a general view of the state of affairs 

 as they developed from day to day, it could be easily observed 

 that on land in a good state of fertilit>^, or land which had 

 been manured the previous fall, the young beet plants showed 

 their usual vigor, whole acres having hardly a wilted leaf 

 during the hottest of mid-day sun, while on land which had 

 no fertility or cultivation, the beet plants, after sprouting 

 well, perished for want of available nourishment. The same 

 was the cas6 with land which had been manured in the spring 

 with coarse unrotted barnyard manure. Some fields had 

 started so well that the rows were full up and had been once 

 hoed, yet when the tender plant with its tiny rootlets could 

 find no nourishment, it had to perish, and whole acres disap- 

 peared within a few days. That this was due to no other 

 cause was, in some cases, most clearly demonstrated. 



A three acre field had been manured and ploughed well 



last fall, with the exception of about one-half acre, which, 

 12 



