New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 



193 



Analyses of sugar-beet roots show quite a wide range of variation 

 in respect to fertilizing constituents, as may be roughly indicated 

 in the subjoined table: 



Fkrtilizer Constituents in Sugar Beets. 



constituents. 



Nitrogen 



Phosphoric acid 



Potash 



Lime 



Magnesia 



PoDNDB IN 2,000 Pounds of Sugar Bbets. 



Variation. 



Pounds. 

 3 to 5 

 1 to 3 

 6 to 8 

 1 to 1* 

 1 to l| 



Average. 



Pounds. 

 4 

 2 

 7 

 H 

 U 



In basing upon the preceding average the composition of a 

 fertilizer to be used in growing sugar beets, one may plaji to use 

 approximately the amount of nitrogen indicated, considerably 

 more phosphoric acid than the analysis gives and a little more 

 potash than is shown by analysis. As a rule, most of our soils 

 contain enough lime and magnesia. As a general guide, we can 

 suggest for use in fertilizing sugar-beet crops a mixture con- 

 taining 



Xivrogen 4 per cent. 



Available phosphoric acid 6 per cent. 



Potash 9 per cent. 



One hundred pounds of a fertilizer having this composition 

 would supply plant-food needed for the growth of one ton of 

 marketable beet roots. It is probable that in most cases the 

 application of 1,000 pounds of such a fertilizer on each acre of 

 land would satisfactorily maintain fertility, assuming that the 

 soil was supplied with some available plant-food at the start. 

 With large yields of beets, more than 1,000 pounds of such fertil- 

 izer might be required ultimately. 



The foregoing estimates are based upon the supposition that all 

 portions of the crop are returned to the soil, except the roots 

 sold to the sugar factory. If the leaves and crowns are not left 

 for the soil, the amount of fertilizer to be applied will need to be 

 increased considerably, since these parts are much richer in 

 plant-food materials than the marketable roots. 



