EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



235 



BEET EXPERIMENTS ON MUCK LAND. 



In a portion of field No. 13, on some muck soil where fertilizer experiments were 

 begun in 1898, the effect of these fertilizers was tested the past year on sugar beets. 

 This soil is well underdrained and has been in crops for the past twelve or fourteen 

 years. The nuu-k varies in depth from two to six feet and is thoroughly subdued. The 

 beets were sown in this field June 9, a little later than on the remainder of the farm, 

 and afterwards given similar care. Owing to the fact that this soil is more free 

 from weeds, the cultivation was much easier and less frequent. The beets in all of our 

 naick experiments, however, seemed to suffer as much or even more during the severe 

 summer drouth than did those on the heavier land. At the time of harvesting, the 

 muck land beets were apparently making a stronger growth than they had at any 

 otlier time during the season, and the indications were that had the season been pro- 

 longed still one more month, good yields of beets could have been obtained. Below is a 

 table showing the amounts of fertilizers and yield of beets per acre, together with their 

 percentage of sugar and co-efficient of purity: 



TABLE 4. — Beet experiments on muck land. 



1 



2 

 3 

 4 

 5 



6 

 7 

 8 

 9 

 10 



11 

 12 



13 



14 



15 

 16 

 17 



18 

 19 

 20 



21 

 22 

 23 

 24 

 25 



Fertilizers applied. 



Nothing 



Air-slaked lime (in 1898) 



Leached ashes (in 1898) 



Sand (layer one inch thick). 

 Commercial fertizer 



Home mixed fertilizer 



Stable manure (20 loads per aere) 

 Nothing (land thoroughly rolled). 



Nitrate of soda .' 



Dissolved phosphate rock 



Muriate of potash 



( Nitrate of soda 



( Dissolved phosphate rock. 



( Nitrate of soda 



( Muriate of potash 



( Dissolved phosphate rock 



\ Muriate of potash 



Nitrate of soda (lime one ton). 



Phosphate rock " " " . 



Muriate of potash " " " . 



( Nitrate of soda " " " . 



( Phosphate rock " " " . 



i Nitrate of soda " " " . 



I Muriate of ])otash " " " . 



I Phosphate rock " " " . 



\ Muriate of potash " " " . 



Rate 

 per acre. 

 Pounds. 



Nothing 



Lime 



Lime 



Lime 



Unleached ashes. 



4,000 

 10,000 



400 

 800 



400 

 400) 

 800) 

 400 1 

 400 J 



800) 

 400 j 

 400 

 800 

 400 



400) 

 800) 

 400) 

 400) 

 800 1 

 400) 



2,000 

 4,000 

 0,000 

 2,000 



Yield 

 per acre. 

 Pounds. 



Percent 



sugar. 



Purity. 



3,432 

 2,640 

 12,078 

 9,702 

 2,310 



6,996 

 16,434 



7,392 

 13,446 



6,791 



16,001 



8,748 



5,016 



11,367 



10,680 

 16,038 

 16,929 



10,341 

 11,681 

 15,687 

 16,821 

 23,814 



8.86 

 8.29 

 10.21 

 8.05 

 8.70 



7.54 



7.14 



7.93 



10.62 



10.47 



8.99 



6. 63 

 6.98 

 8.29 



6.53 

 9.13 



7.23 



9.40 

 9.01 

 8.18 

 6.73 

 10.15 



70. 



68.57 



76.36 



69.31 



76.65 



71.74 

 62.86 

 71.. 51 

 74.52 



78.78 



79.88 

 60.76 



74.16 



71.29 



65.32 

 68.77 

 71.77 



62.57 

 69.37 

 67.63 



76.92 

 76.65 

 75.11 

 68.04 

 78.3 



Average 



weight 



of beets. 



Ounces. 



9 

 14 



9 



8 

 12 



m 



16 

 10 



5 



6 



5i 



7 



Hi 



14 



9 



6 



12 



9 



7 

 5 



3 

 H 



10 

 14 



From the above it will be observed that the highest yield of beets resulted where 

 unleached ashes were applied. While throughout the experiments applications of potash 

 resulted in very marked increased yields, coupled with a rise in the percentage of sugar. 

 This indicates that the soil is perhaps more in need of this mineral than an}' other one 

 element. Whore phosphate rock is used the increased yield over the nothing plots is 

 not so marked; indeed, where phosphate rock alone at the rate of eight hundred pounds 

 per acre was applied, the yield was lower than that on a plot near by receiving no ferti- 



