1'06 " STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The richness of these beets in sugar, therefore, becomes a matter of consequence. 

 On the 16th of October, samples were taken for analysis, the ground at that time 

 being almost covered with water, the soil completely saturated. The following 

 table gives the result of the test of these samples: 



Per cent 

 Plot. sugar. 



1 15.3 



2 14.6 



3 14. 4 



4 13 . 1 



5 14 6 



6 15. 4 



Note that the variation in per cent between plots 5 and 6 was quite marked, 

 almost as much so as between adjacent plots where the distance apart of the row 

 had been varied. It would be quite unwise therefore to ascribe the differences In 

 the richness of sugar on the adjacent plots to the differences in the width of the 

 row, the number of beets taken being too small to insure a fair representation of 

 the plot. 



The beets were hauled to the factory in the latter part of October. Here from 

 each plot four or five half bushel samples were taken. A test of these samples 

 gave the following results: 



^ Per cent 



Plots sugar. 



1 13.2 



2 12. 8 



3 12.6 



4 12.8 



5 12.6 



6 12.7 



Here there is no relation apparent between the per cent of sugar and the dis- 

 tance apart of the rows. This work confirms the conclusion reached last year that 

 up to twenty-eight inches at least, the increase in the width of the row does not 

 lessen the per cent of sugar in the beets. 



Certain officers of the Sebewaing Sugar Company were planting a field to beets 

 and kindly consented to undertake some experiments for the station on this ques- 

 tion of the distance apart of rows. The work was very carefully done and the 

 table below gives the yield per acre of the beets on the plots with the distance 

 between the rows named: 



Distance between 

 Plots. rows. 



1 18 



2 20 



3 22 



4 18 



6 20 



6 18 



7 18 



8 20 



9 18 



10 18 



11 • 18 



Comparing the sum of the yields of the plots having rows eighteen inches apart 

 with those having rows twenty inches apart, seed per acre being fifteen pounds, it' 

 is found that the yield for the eighteen inch rows was 22,617 lbs. per acre and 

 for the tAyenty inch rows, 22.687 lbs. per acre. The size of each plot was seven- 

 tenths of an acre. The plot with rows twenty-two inches apart was sown with a 

 hand drill and did not have as good a stand as the other plots. These results 

 do not show any advantage in the eighteen inch row over the twenty-inch row. 

 Plots 6, 9 and 11 had twenty pounds of seed per acre. Comparing the average of 



