40 



proper distances are placed in it. If after ten or fifteen 

 days this seed has for the most part sprung up, it 

 may be concluded that the seed is good ; but if 

 after three weeks the seed has not sprung up, it- 

 would be hazardous to make use of it, and it would 

 in such case be better to lose the. seed than risk the 

 crop. The temperature of the room in which the 

 experiment is to be tried should be from to 60 to 70* 

 Farenheit. 



Beet seed is sown when the earth has become 

 sufficiently warm, has reached from 50 to 54 and 

 when the later spring frosts are no longer to be 

 dreaded. This sowing takes place in France during 

 the later part of April and the month of May. It 

 would be about one month later in Canada. As I 

 have already stated, as soon as the fine weather 

 commences in the spring the land is prepared by 

 superficial working, so as to make the top soil very 

 fine, a harrow and roller being used for the purpose 

 I must again insist that in no case must the land be 

 worked, for this purpose, unless dry. The sowing is then 

 proceeded with, also in dry weather. When sowing 

 is done by machine 14 pounds of seed per arpent 

 are required ; this quantity being reduced to 8 or 

 10 pounds if hand sowing is used. Some farmers 

 sow beet seed as it is, without any further prepara- 

 tion ; others with a view of hastening germination 

 use certain preparatory processes, so as to make the 

 seed have more vigorous germs and to preserve the 

 seed and young shoot from the attacks of insects. 



If good beet seed is sown in soil well prepared. 



