518 THE FARMERS' HANDBOOK. 



to 100 young plants. The germination percentage will determine whether 

 the rate of seeding should be increased beyond that stated above. A good 

 plan is to soak the seed in warm water for some time before sowing, but 

 care should be taken not to soak much more than is required for immediate 

 sowing, as the keeping quality of the seed may be impaired. 



Manuring. 



Both crops are gross feeders, and will respond to heavy manuring, although 

 in the case of beets grown for sugar-content it is not desirable to encourage 

 too great a development of the roots. Manurial requirements of the crops 

 will vary according to local soil conditions, but as a general rule it may be 

 laid down that mangolds should not be planted except in very rich soil 

 without a liberal dressing of a phosphatic and potassic manure. Nitrogenous 

 fertilizers will only be necessary in soils known to be very deficient in 

 nitrogen, as they tend to stimulate leaf growth at the expense of the roots. 



In Victoria good results have been obtained by the use of about 1 cwt. 

 superphosphate per acre when planting sugar beets, and it is not considered 

 advisable to apply any other fertilizer to this crop. 



Cultivation and Thinning. 



A seed-bed containing plenty of moisture and free from weeds will result 

 in an early start, which is half the battle with crops of this nature. As soon 

 as the plants can be discerned above ground (with favourable conditions 

 usually about nine days from planting) a good cultivation should be given 

 to conserve the moisture, and this should be followed up by cultivation 

 wherever required to cope with weed growth. The roots must not be injured 

 by the cultivator, as this causes them to decay; until they have a firm hold 

 of the ground the rows must be kept free of weeds by the use of the hoe. 

 Care must also be taken not to destroy the ridges during working. 



Thinning is a very important operation, and should be carried out when 

 the plants show four leaves. If left until later it is more costly, and results 

 in a considerable reduction in yield. The work is best done with a short- 

 handled hoe, and the object, in the case of beets, is to space single plants 

 about 8 to 12 inches apart, according to whether the soil is rich and moist 

 or medium dry, and 12 inches to 18 inches apart in the case of mangolds. 

 A clump of seedlings results from the germination of a seed ball, so that. 

 in addition to hoeing, hand-picking is necessary to leave single plants. 

 Where sugar beets are grown on large areas for sale to a factory this work 

 is done by contract, as also is " side-hoeing," which consists of removing 

 from the rows weeds not destroyed by cultivation. 



Harvesting. 



The ripening of the crop is indicated by the leaves turning yellow. This 

 usually takes place seven to eight months from the tinie of planting. 

 Harvesting should not take place before maturity is reached, for in the case 

 of mangolds the maximum yield is not obtained, and immature mangolds 

 are likely to taint milk if fed to dairy cows, and in the case of beets the 

 maximum sugar-content is not obtained. Lifting may be extended over a 

 fairly long period to fit in with other farm work, without deterioration of 

 the roots, but in hot districts the autumn-planted ci*op must not be left in 

 the ground during the summer, as the plants are liable to run to seed. 



Mangolds may as a rule be lifted from the ground with the aid of a strong 

 digging fork, but in the case of beets the best plan is to turn a furrow next 

 to the row to be dug, with the land side of the plough close up to the beets. 



