22 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



having the thinning all come at one time. Beets may be sown as late as 

 June first, but I would rather risk the earlier sown ones. In this, 

 however, as for other crops, much depends on the season. It is not 

 policy to put in beets early in a backward season, for they are so long 

 in coming up and so slow in growing that the weeds get a start also. 

 If the land is plowed early and harrowed frequently and the beets sown 

 a trifle late much will be done to destroy weeds that w^ould bother in 

 the after cultivation. 



Distance apart of rows. — Experiments at our own station and others 

 go to show that there is but little difference in the yield and quality 

 of the beets whether they are sown in rows sixteen or eighteen inches 

 apart. At twenty-four inches apart the tonnage was not so large. It is 

 believed that twenty-one inches is about the proper distance. 



Amount of seed. — I cannot see the philosophy of solving a small 

 amount of seed per acre. I prefer fifteen or eighteen pounds. Have them 

 thick and then have a chance to harrow the field thoroughly and still 

 have suflScient plants left. The saving of a few pounds of seed amounts 

 to but little but a thorough harrowing of the land at the right time 

 amounts to considerable. 



A proper drill. — A grain drill with the beet attachments does very good 

 work in planting beets. But a drill made expressly for the purpose does 

 better. It distributes the seed more uniformly and covers it better, 

 while the depth planted can be governed much more accurately. Some 

 large growers are advocating putting in large acreage with a hand 

 drill but I take little stock in this. I do not believe it practical. 



Fertilizer. — It is my belief that fertilizer should be used on sugar 

 beets. The beets should be forced to thinning time and nothing will do 

 this like fertilizers The beet drill then, should have a fertilizer at- 

 tachment, and fertilizer can be applied at time of sowing the beets. The 

 fertilizer, however, can be applied with the fertilizer grain drill before 

 the beets are sown if desired. , 



