EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



535 



Fig. 24. A field of beets in Menominee Counfy on the farm of Arthur DeCamp, Daggett. 

 The soil and climatic conditions, combined with good transportation and markets of 

 the southern portion of the Upper Peninsula, offer excellent opportunities for an in- 

 creased acreage of the sugar beet crop. 



Tlie following crop rotation for beets gives the best results for this 

 section : Clover sod or pasture followed by corn, potatoes or peas, to 

 be followed by beets. After the beets a grain crop should be grown, 

 which is usually seeded down with clover or alfalfa. 



Fall plowing to good depth usually gives the best results in start- 

 ing the soil preparation for this crop. This is followed by good surface 

 preparation the next spring with the drag, disc and roller or culti- 

 packer. Spring plowing should be done as early as the land is in condi- 

 tion to work well. Beets require a firm, well-worked seed-bed. Barn- 

 yard manure and commercial fertilizers are an aid in producing a 

 larger yield per acre. Seeding at the rate of 12 to 20 pounds per acre 

 is made during the month of May and fore part of June, depending on 

 the season. The bulk of the beet crop is harvested during the month 

 of October. The beet tops and leaves furnish excellent feed for live- 

 stock. The soil and climatic conditions of the southern and central 

 portions of the Upper Peninsula offer excellent opportunities for safe 

 expansion of the sugar beet crop. 



OTHER ROOT CROPS. 



The climate and soil conditions of the Upper Peninsula are very 

 favorable for the production of root crops. They can be depended upon 

 to produce a good supply of winter succulence. Equipment and storage 

 conditions are available even on the new farm just being settled. 



Root crops are adapted to quite a wide range of soil types; but the 

 heavier yields and better quality of roots are generally produced on 

 the sandy loams, loams, and clay loams. Yields of twenty tons per acre 

 are not uncommon. In 1919 a period of high-priced labor, root crops 

 were produced at the Chatham Sub-station at a cost of |3.68 per ton. 

 The American purple top rutabaga is the most common variety grown. 



