Soils 



It has often been stated that any soil that would raise corn 

 would produce beets, but it would be nearer the truth to say 

 that any soil that will raise beets will also produce corn; 

 for there is much corn land that is quite unsuited for beets. 



In general, a moderately productive, sajjdy loam is pre- 

 ferred for beets. But about the factories in the humid sec- 

 tion beets will be found growing on every kind of soil from 

 sandy to clay loam, and some good beets have even been 

 grown on muck. On the lighter soils the cost of production, 

 per acre, is less than on the heavier types. 



Cultural Methods 



Local conditions enter very largely into the preparation of 

 the soil, the distance of planting, and the tillage of the crop. 

 Since the factories usually specify the essentials in their 

 contracts and have field superintendents to advise growers 

 it is no unusual thing to find fields near together, but under 

 contract to different factories, handled in quite different 

 ways. Hence, it is not necessary to go into details upon 

 these matters. 



Varieties 



Since the factories furnish the seed, the variety is not left 

 to the discretion of the grower, but the factory manager or 

 field superintendent furnishes seed of varieties which seem 

 best suited to the soil conditions of the different fields under 

 contract. 



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