504 



Preparation of the soil. The best time for ploughing is the 

 autumn, the plough being first run six to seven inches deep and 

 followed by a subsoiler regulated to tear the ground another six or 

 seven inches, thus breaking the arable soil to the depth of twelve to 

 fourteen inches, which is about the average length of a sugar beet 

 root. The land is left in this rough condition all through the win- 

 ter, and is again ploughed not subsoiled in the spring, and 

 prepared for sowing by means of harrowing and rolling. Should 

 the ploughing be delayed till the spring, a quantity of bad seeds will 

 be brought to the surface, which, germinating at the same time as 

 the beet, will over-run the ground and smother the crops ; while, on 

 the other hand, if the soil be ploughed in the autumn the seeds 

 which germinate in the early spring are killed by the second 

 ploughing, harrowing, etc., which precede the sowing. 



Preparation of the seeds. The seeds are very often ''pickled" 

 or soaked previous to the sowing, especially when they are not quite 

 fresh ; and the planting takes place in the spring, whenever the 

 temperature reaches about 55 deg. to 60 deg. F. In the New England 

 district by the end of September. The germinating faculty is 

 materially increased by soaking in water at 100 deg. to 120 deg. F. for 

 twenty-four to thirty-six hours, and the beets thus treated show a 

 more even growth than when the seeds are not soaked. Prolonged 

 immersion, however, in pure water, might remove from the seeds 

 some of their soluble constituents, and for this reason the seeds are 

 often steeped in the juices flowing from the manure heap, which are 

 diluted with about an equal volume of water. A mixture of urine 

 and water in equal parts is just as good. The seeds, during this 

 time, having absorbed about their weight of water, are taken out, 

 mixed with ashes superphosphate of lime is often added to the 

 ashes dried on the surface, passed over a screen, and used for 

 sowing. 



Germination of seeds. Few crops have been so thoroughly 

 studied as regards their requirements, and the treatment they should 

 be subjected to, as the sugar-beet. Experiment has shown that in 

 a soil well prepared and sufficiently moist and it-rated, the seeds 

 require for germination a total of degrees of average temperature 

 equal to 650 deg. F. Thus, if the average daily temperature be 55 

 deg., twelve days will be required for germination ; if 65 deg., only 

 ten clays will be required. Should the seeds be steeped for thirty- 

 six hours in water, or the liquid from the manure-heap wanned to 

 100 deg. or 120 deg. F., the number of days required for germination 

 will be correspondingly reduced, and only nine to ten clays will be 

 occupied. The same principle holds good for the germination and 

 the ripening of many of our economic and ornamental plants. 



Manures. In the rich volcanic or alluvial soils of the New 

 England district, no immediate manuring will be required, except 

 on land which has been under crop for a great number of years. 

 When, however, manure has to be applied, it should not be too 





