170 



FUNDAMENTALS OF AGRICULTURE. 



for the months of June, July and August.* For the 

 year 1909, 4,081,382 tons of sugar beets were worked 

 which produced 512,469 tons of sugar. The average 

 yield per acre of beets in Germany is a little over thir- 

 teen tons, while in the United States it is almost ten 

 tons. The normal width between the rows is 18 

 inches and the distance between the plants is 8 inches. 

 The ideal weight of the beet is two pounds. These 

 figures will give a yield of 43.3 tons per acre with a 

 perfect stand. There is a difference of 33.3 tons be- 



A CROSS SECTION OF AN EASILY CONSTRUCTED PIT FOR ROOTS. 

 Place the roots upon a layer of straw on a well-drained location and cover with straw, 

 then soil, then a second layer of straw and a second layer of soil. Then place a thick 

 layer of straw or coarse horse manure on the outside. Dig a drain around the pit to 

 prevent the ground becoming water-logged. 



tween our production and the ideal, so there is a 

 great chance for improvement in the growing of this 

 crop.f 



Requirements. This crop requires water, sunlight 

 and a rich soil. The preparation of the soil is about 

 the same as for the mangel. Like the mangel it gets 

 started slowly and a mixture of equal parts of nitrate 

 of soda and acid phosphate applied at the rate of 100 

 to 150 pounds to the acre is very helpful in giving the 

 sugar beet a start. About sixteen to twenty pounds of 

 seed per acre are required for a good stand. The 

 seed should be planted from % of an inch to i ^4 



* Farmers' Bui. 52 Revised. 



f Report No. 92, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



