630 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



tions of commercial fertilizers is increased. The leaves may, how- 

 ever, be fed and the resulting manure may be returned to the soil 

 without material loss of these fertilizing constituents; or in some 

 cases stock may be turned into the beet fields to feed on the tops and 

 leaves remaining on the ground after the harvest is completed. 



Most soils contain a sufficient quantity of lime, although there 

 are some in which the supply of lime is naturally deficient ; and such 

 soils would be benefited by an application of land plaster, burned 

 lime, phosphatic slags, or ground shells. Phosphoric acid and potash 

 are supplied in the form of ordinary commercial fertilizers the 

 phosphorus as ground bone, superphosphate, or basic slag, and the 

 potash may be supplied in the form of muriate or sulphate of potash 

 or as kainit. 



Nitrogen may be supplied in the form in which it exists in 

 ground bone, or from the refuse of the slaughterhouses in the form 

 of dried blood and tankage, or as cotton-seed meal or oil cake, or as 

 nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, etc. 



Barnyard manure offers a ready means for fertilizing the soil, 

 and one which every farmer can employ. By its use, humus is added 

 to the soil as well as small percentages of potash, phosphoric acid, and 

 nitrogen. There is a great difference of opinion as to the best time 

 and method of applying it to beet land. In general, however, it 

 should be applied, in a well-rotted condition, in the autumn before 

 the ground is plowed. The quantity per acre depends, of course, on 

 the fertility of the soil ; but in any case it is not best to apply a very 

 heavy dressing. With poor soils it is best to apply the 

 manure for several years in succession, rather than to apply enough 

 at once to bring it up to the required state of fertility. Too copious 

 an application of manure is apt to produce overgrowth in the beets, 

 which makes them ill suited to the manufacture of sugar. If the 

 manure be applied in an unrotted condition it is apt to seriously 

 injure the crop in case of dry weather. 



As to the relation which the quantity of material returned to 

 the soil should bear to the quantity abstracted by the beet, it may be 

 said in general that it is desirable to return as much nitrogen, from 

 one and a quarter to one and a half times as much potash, and two 

 and a half times as much phosphoric acid as have been removed by 

 the roots. Greater additions of potash and phosphoric acid have 

 no disadvantageous effects upon the crop. But it must not be ex- 

 pected, on the other hand, that increasing fertilization, especially 

 with potash, will produce proportionately increasing crops, as has 

 been asserted by some. 



As regards the use of nitrate of soda for fertilization, if applied 

 late to the beet crop, it prevents its ripening, thereby lowering the 

 sugar content. It is best applied early and in small quantities. 

 Heavy applications are thought to injure the beet for manufacturing 

 purposes. (F. B. 52 Revision 1910.) 



Preparing the Land for the Seed. Preparing the soil properly 

 for growing sugar beets is another important feature, and comes 

 next to the selection of the soil itself. All the different important 



