178 CULTURE OF THE SUGAR BEET. 



dall harrow, and marked out with a marker. Fertilizer was then distributed in the 

 marks and lightly covered by means of a horse cultivator, and the seed sown upon it 

 with a hand drill. The cost of harrowing was $2 per acre, and that of marking, dis- 

 tributing the fertilizer, and planting, $1 per acre. 



" This year the roots were separated by a distance of 30 inches between the rows, and 

 8 inches between the roots, but next year these distances will be decreased. The first 

 weeding was done with a hoe of special form, turned up at each side and double- 

 edged, so that the laborer was able to utilize both the forward and backward stroke. 

 This made the operation much more rapid and the work done more thorough, but by 

 means of this implement it was impossible to remove the weeds that were in very close 

 proximity to the roots, and this was effected by hand, with very little labor and very 

 small cost. The thinning was done with a hoe of similar construction but narrower, 

 and this operation and the first weeding together cost $3 per acre. All the subsequent 

 work on the crop was done with a horse cultivator, which was employed three times. 

 It was found that a man with a horse cultivator could go over 2 acres per day, making 

 the cost of the work $1.50 per acre. The work on the crop continues about 3 weeks 

 after the first weeding, during which the horse cultivator may be used three times, 

 and after which the leaves cover the ground so completely that the weeds do not 

 grow. 



" The harvesting will be done in October, and the method of pulling will vary 

 with the character of the ground ; if it be mellow it will be done by hand, with no 

 assistance, but if the ground be hard it must be loosened with the plow. The leaves 

 are removed in the field by hand or with a knife, as the case may be. Boys are not 

 strong enough to twist off the leaves as the men do, and must use a knife for the pur- 

 pose. The roots will be stored in trenches until called for by the factory. The rail- 

 road station being on the farm, no cost is estimated for delivering. The price received 

 for the crop is $5 per ton of 2,240 pounds. 



"I shall use pulp from factory for cattle food, at a cost delivered on farm of $1.50 per 

 ton. 



"The wages of farm laborers is $13 per month, with board and washing, and $25 

 per month or $1 per day without board and washing." 



Mr. Harris considers that if care be observed to keep the weeds down, the cost of 

 culture of the sugar beet will not be more than 25 per cent, greater than that of corn 

 or potatoes, but the probabilities are that in most cases the cost will not be as high as 

 this. The data concerning the cost of beet culture given by Mr. Harris may be summed 

 up as follows : 



Seed, 15 pounds, at 20 cents $3 00 



Fertilizer 25 00 



Fall plowing 2 00 



Spring plowing 4 00 



Harrowing 2 00 



Marking and planting 1 00 



First weeding and thinning 3 00 



Cultivator with horse (3 times) 4 50 



Total 44 50 



By Mr. Hays, of Portsmouth, N. H. : 



" Planted 2 acres with French seed, pink top, but prefers the German seed, because 

 the roots are generally larger, do not grow so much out of the ground, and will prob- 

 ably give a larger yield per acre. He planted the 14 pounds of seed furnished by the 

 company, but considers this quantity too much, and that 8 pounds per acre is amply 

 sufficient, for more than this cannot readily be sown. 



" The soil devoted to sugar beets this year is a sandy loam, on well-drained upland. 



