EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



311 



Between thirteen and fourteen pounds of seed per acre were used that 

 there might be no breaks or vacant spaces in the rows. It has been found 

 difficult, if not impossible, to successfully transplant beets to fill up 

 gaps. Experience in sections where the industry has been pursued for 

 several years has demonstrated that it is much more economical to sow 

 the seed thick at the outset and remove all surplus beets at the time 

 of thinning, when the beets are showing the fourth leaf, than to attempt 

 to save seed by thinner sowing. 



Fig. 5.— Planet Jr , Garden Drill, Wiley, Farmers' Bulletin No. 

 Department of Agriculture. 



52, (United States 



Cultivation began May 17, before the plants had appeared above the 

 surface of the ground. All the plots were gone over at that time with 

 a Breed's weeder, which served the double purpose of killing the germi- 

 nating weeds and stirring up the soft, shallow mulch needed to prevent 

 the escape of moisture. 



On the first of June all plots were cultivated with Planet Jr., one- 

 horse cultivators. This cultivation was repeated June 12 and June 21. 

 By the latter date the beets were showing the fourth leaf with roots as 

 large as a wheat straw. The thinning was therefore done immediately 

 after the cultivation June 21. By means of a sharp hoe, a large share 

 of the surplus beets were removed from each row, leaving bunches of 

 plants eight or nine inches apart from center to center. Men and boys 

 followed on their knees and removed from these bunches all but the 

 strongest plants. In this way, after the thinning, there was on the 

 average one beet every eight inches in the row, and the rows were 

 twenty-two inches apart. To leave the beets closer together is to grow 

 too small roots. To thin them to a greater distance apart is to invite 



