THe JOUHNAI9 



OP 



TI16 department of M^ricufture 



O, (SEW YORI 



BOTANIC A 



VICTORIA. qarl>bn. 



Vol. IX. Part 8. tOth Aug-ust, 1911. 



THE eH'LTI\'ATION OF SUGAR BEET. 



Harry T . Eastcrby, General Manager, Maffra Beet Sugar Factory. 



In view of the general interest now being taken in thie growth of 

 sugar beet for the Maffra Factory, it has been thought advisable to 

 devote a small portion of the Journal to giving a few particulars as 

 to the preparation of the soil, cultivation, and treatment of 

 this crop. This article, however, has necessarily been very hurriedly 

 thrown together, due to the demands upon the writer's time in other direc- 

 tions, and it is proposed to follow it at a later date by more complete 

 details. 



Selection of Site. 



In preparing to grow sugar beet, the selection of the land is of very 

 vital importance, and good to rich soils should invariably be chosen. 

 Poor sandy lands that blow or drift, and wet. cold, and late land should 

 be avoided. On the whole, beet appears to thrive best on good warm 

 sandy loams of good (Ifi)th. and it best follows a cereal crop of some 

 kind. 



Preparation of Seed Hed and Sowing. 



In order that a gfxxl seed l)ed may be provided, the ground .should 

 be cleared of all rubljish, stubble, or stalks, so that the drill may work 

 quite freely. The land should, if possible, be fallowed in late summer 

 or autumn, so that it may remain open for some time to the sweetening 

 influences of the sun and air, and any weeils that germinate can be 

 killed by the subsetjuent cultivation. 



Tlie first jjloughing should U- followed in late winter by cross- 

 ploughing and subsoiling to a depth of al)oui 14 in. A proper mechanical 

 breaking an<I mixing of the soil is what is needed, .so that the plant 

 tood .storetl up in the groiuid can Ixj liberated and made available, and 

 that the roots may have lil)ertv to grow deep down in the soil. 



If jwssible. do not allow weeds to get a start before seeding, otherwise 

 till- sul)se(]u<Mit cultivation of the <rop will in\ol\e a good deal of labour 

 tliat might have been spared. 



!».->54. I 



