1-U 



strictly the Fronch and German methods of fertilizing- and cultivating, 

 it was still suilicieutly large to insure a profitable crop even under the 

 opi)osing inlluen(!es of the i)ast season." 



The ground used for the experiment was in excellent condition, hav- 

 ing received a heavy dressing of well-rotted manure last year. The 

 varieties used were Imi)erial, Silesian, Redtop, Vilmorin, Lane's Im- 

 proved, White Sugar, Salzer's Imperial, and Sweet White. The beets 

 were planted by hand May 10, iu most cases in rows 30 inches apart, 

 the plants being thinned to 8 inches apart, but in some cases the rows 

 were only 1-4 inches apart and the plants thinned to 6 inches apart- 

 This thick planting yielded the smallest beets but they were uniformly 

 the richest in sugar. Four average beets of Lane's Improved variety 

 for each of three degrees of thickness of i)lantiug, and four average 

 beets of each of the other varieties, forty specimens in all, were ana- 

 lyzed and the results reported in this bulletin. The yield per acre ranged 

 from 14,840 to 32,500 pounds, and the per cent of sugar in the juice 

 from 5.4 to 12.3, the smallest per cent of sugar being with the smallest 

 yield of beets. "Again hoi)e is expressed that farmers will raise small 

 quantities of the sugar-beet. All samples delivered at the station lab- 

 oratory will be analyzed free of charge." 



Among the directions for beet culture drawn from general experi- 

 ence and given in the bulletin are the following : 



(1) Thorough preparation of the soil is essential to success. The 

 laud should be plowed in the fall to an average depth of from 12 to 15 

 inches, but the final preparation should be made at the time of plant- 

 ing. 



(2) Stable manure should be applied at the rate of not more than 15 

 tons per acre, since too much manure is apt to lessen the per cent of 

 sugar by producing too weak and too prolonged growth. 



(3) The largest yield per acre iu sugar content and quantity of beets 

 is obtained from the thickest planting. In Dakota the high price of 

 labor practically limits the width of row to that which can be easily 

 cultivated with implements drawn by horses, i. e. to from 20 to 24 

 inches. 



(4) In the dry climate of Dakota the seeds should be covered fully 1^ 

 inches to secure sufficient moisture for germination. 



(5) Early cultivation kills weeds and forms a layer of mellow earth 

 which acts as a mulch, keeping the soil below cool and moist. 



(6) Thinning can be done best just after a rain. 



(7) The crops should be stored in a root cellar or in piles iu the field 

 which are protected from freezing. The cellar should be cool and 

 moist, and in the Dakotas it is found desirable to cover the beets with 

 damp earth to keep them from wilting. 



Value for stock feeding. — Beets and mangel-wurzels are, on the whole, 

 the most reliable root-crops grown iu the State. 



