OTHER FARM CROPS 633 



kinds of soil. It is better to use a specially designed beet seeder which 

 is adjustable as regards width of rows and the amount of seed used per 

 acre. The amount of seed usually required is 15 to 20 pounds per 

 acre. The seeds are sown quite thick, the regulation of the amount 

 per acre being governed by the proximity of the seeds in the row. 



It is usually anticipated that many more seeds will germinate 

 and come up than are required. This is the insurance part of the 

 performance. A stand of beets is absolutely essential to the success 

 of the crop. The beet seeder can be adjusted so as to plant seeds 

 from a half inch to an inch and a half in depth, according to the 

 kind of soil and its condition as regards moisture, warmth, etc. Care 

 should be taken not to plant too deep. Until experience shall have 

 given him a definite idea of his own, the grower should seek advice 

 regarding the proper depth from some person better posted than him- 

 self as to planting sugar beets in his locality. 



Some method of compacting the soil around the seed is gener- 

 ally desirable. This is usually accomplished by rolling. The smooth 

 surface left by a roller is objectionable in some localities ; for instance, 

 where the soil is sandy and there is much wind, thus drifting the 

 sand against the young beets, cutting them off or injuring them. 

 Under such circumstances the ground is usually "planked. This 

 is accomplished by drawing a platform arrangement made of planks 

 over the soil, which leaves the surface considerably rougher than 

 does the roller. Care must be used to plant at the right time, the 

 same as with any other crop. This must be determined by the mois- 

 ture in the soil, its temperature, and the weather. 



In from seven to ten days, if the soil is warm and moist enough, 

 the beets will begin to make their appearance. The real struggle on 

 the part of the grower for a crop begins at this juncture. There are 

 several kinds of emergencies that may arise at this tender stage of 

 the plant; a frost or a hailstorm can do them considerable damage, 

 and they may have to be replanted. In replanting, it is not good 

 practice to undertake to reset beets extensively. 



This germinating period is the anxious time of the beet grower. 

 A beating rain may crust the surface to such an extent that the beets 

 can not penetrate it. In such cases valuable results may be produced 

 by using a harrow to break up the crust of the surface. At every 

 stage of the crop the beets must be kept clean and cultivation must 

 begin at the earliest possible moment. Sometimes they are cultivated 

 soon after planting. These first cultivations are accomplished with 

 special beet cultivators, which work several rows at a time. These 

 cultivators are adjustable to the width of the rows, and usually have, 

 for the first cultivation, small, loose, sharp knives running parallel 

 with the surface, and designed to cut off the grass and weeds just 

 below the surface. 



Bunching and Thinning. About the time that the beets show 

 the fourth leaf the bunching and thinning process begins. This is 

 necessary to remove the excess of plants. Single plants should be 

 left in the row from 6 to 10 inches apart, depending on the distance 

 between the rows and the kind of soil. The time of thinning is im- 



