Production of Sii^ar-Beet Seed 223 



dividual beets are siloed ; the second }ear these are planted 

 separately and the resulting beets analyzed. From this 

 analysis it is possible to determine which of the original 

 beets with a high sugar-content are able to transmit to 

 their progeny this necessary quality. The poor strains 

 are discarded and the good ones siloed, to be used the 

 fourth year in producing the "mother seed." The mother 

 seed is planted the fifth year and the beets obtained from 

 it produce the commercial seed the si.\th year. The part 

 of the work requiring skill and patience is the obtaining 

 of dependable mother seed. 



In planting beets from which the commercial seed is 

 produced, the roots are left considerably closer together 

 in the rows than when regular beets are to be raised. 

 About eight pounds of seed are used to the acre and the 

 plants are not thinned in the ordinary way. Sometimes 

 the plants are thinned to three or four inches apart in 

 the row and sometimes they are left unthinned. This 

 method is used in order to save labor in handling the 

 beets. Less storage space is required for the small beets 

 than for those of full size. Being small does not seem to 

 reduce materially the amount of seed produced. These 

 small beets are called "stecklinge." Beets that are 

 large are sometimes split lengthwise into two or three 

 pieces, each of which will grow if part of the live buds in 

 the crown are retained. 



COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF SEED 



Siloing. 



One of the most important operations in connection 

 with seed production is the storing over winter, or siloing, 



