Production of Sugar-Beet Seed 219 



seed-ball contains a number of germs, there are often 

 more sprouts than seed-balls. It will be noted that of 

 the three samples of foreign seetl, not one was equal to 

 the home-grown seed in germinating power. 



The climate of the irrigated section of the West seems 

 well adapted to the production of sugar-beet seed. The 

 use of irrigation to control the soil moisture and the warm 

 dry weather during the season when seed is growing make 

 an almost ideal combination. In the sixteen years since 

 the Utah Experiment Station began raising sugar-beet 

 seed, there has not been a single failure. 



TYPES OF BEETS 



America has produced no distinct varieties or types of 

 sugar-beets. An examination of almost any commercial 

 field reveals a great diversity in shape and manner of 

 groA^iih. Some roots are long and of small diameter; 

 others are short and turnip-like. The tops vary from 

 erect plants with big leaves to plants with small leaves 

 spreading out near the ground. These conditions show 

 a great admix'ture of strains. 



All of the sugar-beets belong to the same botanical 

 species, Beta vulgaris. The difTerences have arisen from 

 selection of special characters and have given rise to 

 variation in shape, color, and size of beet, amount and 

 manner of growth in foliage, as well as in sugar-content 

 and yield. Selections were always made to improve the 

 beet, and these selections resulted in considerable variation 

 in appearance. Trade names have been given to the 

 various types. Among the most common are : Vilmorin, 



