CULTURE OF THE SUGAR BEET. 



271 



extra plants than to replace wanting ones by transplanting, and •while in careful 

 hands no bad results will follow the use of the smaller quantity of seed yet it is more 

 probable that the larger quantity recommended will give in all hands far better results. 

 The distances between the rows and roots adopted may in general be subject to 

 improvement. The most successful culture in Europe has proven that with horse cult- 

 ure the distance between the rows may be with advantage reduced to 18 inches, and 

 in many cases 14 inches has been the distance adopted. The distance between the 

 roots in the rows has also been reduced to about 7 incbes. 



This increases the number of roots per acre to nearly double that which can be 

 obtained with the separatiou indicated in the tables here given, and improves the 

 quality of the root for sugar production. 



While tbe weight of each root will be smaller in such cases,* the ultimate quantity 

 of the crop grown has in France been found to be from 50 to 100 per cent, greater 

 than that obtained by wider separation of the roots. 



We may therefore confiden fly assert that if the separation of the roots in the crops 

 of 1879 in Maine had been reduced to 18 by 7 inches, the profit from the crop would 

 have been materially increased. 



That the failure of some of the crops must be referred entirely to the conditions of 

 soil and culture, and not to the existing meteorological conditions is shown by the 

 very favorable indications concerning the latter given in the following statement 

 with which we have been favored by the Chief Signal Officer of the United States 

 Army. 



Statement shotting the mean temperature, relative humidity, amouvt of precipitation, and 

 number of rainy days for each month of the year 1879 at Portland, Me., Eastport, Me., 

 Burlington, Vt., and Boston, Mass., as recorded at the stations of observation of the Signal 

 Service, United States Army, at tho3e places. 



[Compiled from the records on file at the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, United States Army, "Wash- 

 ington, D. C] 



Months. 



Portland, Me. 



Eastport, Me. 



So 

 3p 



1879. 



January 



February 



March 



April 



May 



June 



July 



August 



September 



October , 



November 



December 



Degrees. 

 24.2 

 24.9 

 34.0 

 42.6 

 57.7 

 61.8 

 68.0 

 63.9 

 59.9 

 55.6 

 38.5 

 29.2 



Per cent. 

 75.0 

 72.6 

 73.4 

 63.0 

 66.4 

 73.8 

 70.3 

 70.2 

 76.3 

 64.2 

 70.7 

 68.0 



Inches. 

 2.30 

 3.80 

 4.42 

 3.68 

 .88 

 6.61 

 3.80 

 3.73 

 2.67 

 1.43 

 4.90 

 3.39 



a 



* This would admit of 49,760 roots per acre, or with an average of 1 pound for each 

 root, a yield of about 22 tons. 



