EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



241 



past experience in growing beets on muck land will hardly justify the 

 inclusion of this tj'pe- of soil in the area of soil best suited to extensive 

 development for profitable sugar beet production. Investigation which 

 may afford us more definite facts relative to growing beets on muck, are 

 now under way by the Soils department. 



Sugar beets do best on fertile, weU drained loam, silt loam and clay loam soils. Fall plow- 

 ing to a good depth and thorough fitting provides conditions for the development of the 

 best type of beet root. 



Expansion in sugar beet growing when advisable should be directed to 

 occupy additional areas of fertile and well drained loams, silt loams, and 

 clay loams — soils which give both a high yield and a desirable sugar con- 

 tent, and of which extensive acreages are available. In addition there 

 are large areas of poorly drained land of similar texture, adapted to beet 

 growing when drained. The adequate drainage of such soils, now with- 

 held from profitable sugar beet production due to poor drainage, would 

 provide for a large expansion of beet growing under excellent soil and 

 climatic conditions. Few crops will as rapidly repay the expense of tile 

 drainage where needed as will the sugar beet crop. 



PREPARING LAND FOR BEETS. 



Fall plowing to a good depth is conceded to be the best initial prepara- 

 tion for large sugar beet yields — the depth varies with soils — but under 

 average Michigan conditions from 7 to 10 inches is considered suflScient. 

 Do not plow more than three-quarters of an inch to one inch deeper 

 than the usual depth at any one plowing. Increase the depth of plowing 

 gradually — not all the same year. Fall plowing provides for the thor- 

 ough settling of the furrow slice, and exposes the soil to winter action, 

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