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perience we have come to the conclusion that this is not the best 

 practice. The beet is a plant native to much colder latitudes than 

 is corn and will germinate and grow in temperatures where corn 

 would do nothing. The root ground should be plowed and fitted 

 as early in the spring as the land can be brought into proper 

 condition for the .seed ; that is deep, rich, mellow and finely pul- 

 verized. At this time there is seldom a lack of sufficient moisture 

 in the soil to insure rapid and even germination of the seed, while 

 if planting is delayed till the latter part of May an incipient 

 drought is often responsible for the slow start of the beets. 



By planting early (about the middle of April), by the use of 

 plenty of seed that is known to be good, and with the least po.ssi- 

 ble amount of hand cultivation, we have succeeded in raising roots 

 at a cost so low that we believe they can be fed at a profit. 



The results of the past season's crop are fairly t3^pical of our 

 usual success and are given herewith not as representing anything 

 unusual in the way of yield but as illustrative of what n:ay be ex- 

 pected with ordinary careful practice. 



The land was clover sod and had received a coat of farm yard 

 manure in its regular rotation. It was plowed and fitted with 

 harrow and cultivator till there was a seed bed such as the one de- 

 scribed. The beets were planted April i8th. The season was 

 very wet and the weeds were unusually numerous thus necessitat- 

 ing more than the usual amount of hand weeding. The plot con- 

 tained 36,853 square feet or a little more than three-fourths of an 

 acre. The yield and labor expended were as follows : 



361.75 hours labor, man at 15 cents 154-26 



76 hours labor, team at 20 cents 15.20 



Seed 3 pounds at 50 cents 1.50 



Total I70.96 



Yield from 36,853 sq. ft., pounds 60705 



Yield per acre, pounds 7.1753 



Yield per acre, bushels 1196 



Yield per acre, tons 35-75 



Cost per bushel for seed and labor I.07 



Good authorities, {i.e., practical dairymen) consider roots to be 

 worth ten cents per bushel for feeding purposes, when fed in small 

 quantities as an adjunct, digester, or appetizer. 



It will be noticed that we have charged for labor of man and 

 team nearly double what they can be procured for on ordinary 

 farms. Even at these prices we have succeeded in more favorable 

 years in raising roots at a cost of five cents per bushel for seed and 

 labor. I. P. ROBERTS. 



