CULTIVATION OF THE BEET 97 



seed. This preliminary treatment also facilitates its 

 germination, and in a measure guards it against de- 

 struction by insects. 



The seed should be passed through a screen with 

 meshes sufficiently fine to retain all that would not 

 pass easily through the gauge that regulates the pas- 

 sage of seed in the machine. 



The seed which do not pass must be rubbed between 

 two boards, and partially crushed, in order to reduce 

 those which are large and irregularly formed to a size 

 that permits their easy transmission through the screen. 

 After all the seed are by rubbing rendered sufficiently 

 small to offer no obstruction to their easy sowing, they 

 are steeped in the following solution : 



Dissolve nine ounces of sulphate of potash and an 

 equal quantity of sulphate of lime in from four to five 

 quarts of warm water. After this add five or six gal- 

 lons of cold water. Of this solution use a sufficient 

 quantity to cover the seed. 



After having steeped for five or six hours, the liquid 

 is drained off, and the seed are dried by putting them 

 into a vessel either with wood ashes, slaked lime, 

 ground plaster of Paris, or thoroughly pulverized 

 guano, and mixing them together, so that each seed 

 may be in a degree coated with the material employed. 

 They are then spread until sufficiently dry to work 

 readily in the machine. The machine should be set 

 so as to sow the seed from one and a half to two 

 inches deep, and in lines sixteen to eighteen inches 

 apart, although some farmers make their rows four- 

 teen and others twenty inches apart.* 



* Beets planted a foot apart will produce about four tons more 



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