New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 433 



No. 135, but the data obtained from such analyses possessed 

 small value, owing to the fact that little was known about the 

 detailed conditions under which the beets were grown. 



It was decided to undertake during the season of 1898 a num- 

 ber of experiments in cooperation with carefully selected, repre- 

 sentative farmers in several different counties. It has been the 

 object of these cooperative experiments to study with- care the 

 following points : 



(1) The yield, composition and cost of sugar beets grown in 

 various parts of the State under known conditions. 



(2) The effect of the use of commercial plant-foods upon the 

 yield of beets, their composition, size, cost, etc. 



We publish separately a summary of the analyses of a large 

 number of samples of beets that have been sent us for analysis, 

 about which we have little or no knowlege in regard to the con- 

 ditions of growth. 



The Station has carried on a special line of investigation on 

 the Station farm, the detailed results of which will be presented 

 and discussed by themselves. 



The cooperative work was carried on at one or more places, 

 in ten different counties as follows: Three places in Oneida 

 county; two places each in Madison, Onondaga, "Wayne and 

 Cayuga counties; and one place in Oswego, Schuyler, Ontario, 

 Seneca and Cortland counties. All the work is not reported 

 here, because some crops were failures and some of those co- 

 operating failed to carry out instructions in keeping records that 

 could be used. The size of plats used varied from one-tenth to 

 one-fifth of an acre. The beet seed and the fertilizer were fur- 

 nished by the Station. Immediate direction of the work was 

 exercised as far as possible through the personal supervision given 

 by Mr. Geo. A. Smith on the part of the Station. 



In making analysis of the beets, 20 or more beets were used in 

 securing a sample, as the analysis of this number was found much 

 28 



