35 



Valley, California, were rather surprising. It was found that the sug- 

 ar beets would grow well on soils that were believed to be too 

 strongly charged with alkali to permit even a feeble growth. The 

 sugar beet can be grown on the alkali soils of Peru; it would serve as 

 a partial reclaimant and, possibly, a good rotation crop. * 



Cane does not remove the obnoxious salts from the soil to any 

 great extent. The analyses of the ashes of equally nntured cane stalks 

 from alkali and from non-alkali soils vary but slightly. The percent- 

 age of lime, soda, and magnesia are about normal in both. As an al- 

 kali removing plant, therefore, cane cannot be considered of pro- 

 nounced value apart from the slight amount that it would naturally 

 remove. 



Use of gypsum. On soils containing an excess of black alkali, 

 gypsum has the effect of converting the black into the white alkali, 

 that is, changing the carbonates to sulphates. As mentioned before, 

 the deteriorating effect of the white alkali is much less than the black 

 and it is a choice of the lesser of two evils; the salts are uot removed 

 but the conditions for plant growth are improved. 



* In considering the rotation of crops, the idea suggested itself that the sugar beet, 

 if it would thrive in Peru, would be a good crop for this purpose^ and at the same time 

 give a product that would not require radically different appliances for its manipulation. 

 The difficulty with crop rotation for a large estate is that the estate is not usually pre- 

 pared to handle the rotation crop and that it might require knowledge and experience 

 quite different from cane growing. Where alfalfa is used for pasture the problem is 

 easy; but with cotton or barley for the rotation crop the problem would be different as 

 the work of the estate would need to be changed more or less to meet the needs of the 

 rotation crop. A man thoroughly acquainted with cane growing and the manufacture of 

 sugar, might have little ability in growing barley or tobacco, both of which would proba- 

 bly thrive in Peru. 



As the climnte is dry with moderate temperature, it was believed that the sugar 

 beet would mature. Seeds were accordingly obtained, planted, and a few beets harvest- 

 ed; though small they contained 15 {o sugar which would indicate that beets of consider- 

 able value could be grown. From another planting, one beet not fully matured weighed 

 4 Ibs. and contained 12 y z 1 sugar. 



The difficulty in beet growing here would not lie so much with the climate, as with 

 the soil some of which is of the finely divided packing type. On the sandy soils, particu- 

 larly near the river bed, the beets would probably develop to fair size. 



They will grow better if planted 1n the cool months; planted in the warm months they 

 grow too much to top. These sample beets were planted in the warm months and har- 

 vested whem five months old. Seed planted in soil containing a large percent of alkali 

 gave a very rank growth of tops. 



The question deserves consideration. 



