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424 Bulletin i66. 



were kept free from weeds with less labor than the earlier plant- 

 ings. However, at harvest time it was found that many of them 

 had not made satisfactory growth and were not sufficiently 

 matured to produce beets of high quality. As a result of the 

 season's observations it is recommended to plant as early in May 

 as the soil becomes warm and in thoroughly good condition. 

 When careful farmers think the soil fit for corn planting, then 

 the beet seed should be put in. 



Effect of the preceding crop. — With a great number of vary- 

 ing conditions affecting the growth of the crop, it is, perhaps, 

 unwise to attempt to ascribe a definite result to the influence of 

 the preceding crop. It is only when large numbers of cases 

 can be compared that this is permissible. From a study of the 

 records of the Binghamton Beet Sugar Co. we discover that in 

 294 cases where both the previous crop and the yield per acre 

 are given, the beets obtained were in the following order and 

 relations, counting the largest average yield at 100. 



INFLUENCE OF THE PRECEDING CROP ON THE YIELD OF 



BEETS. 



Preceding crop. No. of cases. Relative yields. 



1. Cabbage 32 100 



2. Clover sod 25 82 



3. Sod, other than clover 25 78 



4. Potatoes 100 73 



5. Corn 100 66 



6. Buckwheat 12 64 



In seems from the above figures that cabbage is a crop 

 especially desirable to precede a crop of beets. This probably is 

 owing to several considerations. First, manure is usually applied 

 freel}^ for the cabbage crop and the land is left more fertile than 

 after most other crops. Second, the thorough and late tillage 

 required by the cabbage are particularly beneficial in preparing 

 the land for a succeeding crop, and third, the farmer who has 

 learned to successfully grow cabbage is already well on the road 

 to successful sugar beet culture. True, there is little of the 

 slow tedious work in cabbage growing that is often necessary in 

 beet culture, yet the cabbage grower has very well learned the 



