BEETS 



609 



not soluble. Under such circumstances 

 the soils, while rich, are not fertile. If 

 one or more of the required elements is 

 lacking or is not present in the soil in 

 sufficient quantit.v to produce a normal 

 plant growth, it is clear that such ele- 

 ment or elements should be added in an 

 available form. If, however, the neces- 

 sary plant foods are all present in the 

 soil but some of them are not soluble, the 

 problem is entirely different and consists 

 in so treating the soil that all the ele- 

 ments are reduced to soluble forms. Fre- 

 quently the fertility of a soil may be in- 

 creased by giving it proper tillage at the 

 right time without the addition of any 

 material. 



The vegetable fertilizers in common use 

 are stable manure and green crops. The 

 principal function of the vegetable fertil- 

 izer is to so improve the physical condi- 

 tion of the soil that the elements already 

 in the soil are rendered soluble and there- 

 fore available for the plant. Nearly all 

 irrigated soils are deficient in humus, and 

 for this reason it is important to make 

 use of the greatest possible amount of 

 stable manure. 



As a rule, the amount of stable manure 

 produced upon most farms is insufficient 

 to supplj' the required quantity of humus 

 to irrigated soils. For this reason the 

 stable manure should be supplemented by 

 plowing under green crops. If the sup- 

 ply of nitrogen in the soil as well as the 

 supply of humus is deficient, nitrogen- 

 storing plants, such as alfalfa, clover, 

 peas, beans, etc., should be used as a 

 green fertilizer. If the humus only is 

 deficient, such crops as rape, rye, sorg- 

 hum, etc., may be used. A soil which is 

 deficient in one or more of the mineral 

 elements will not respond to the fullest 

 extent to the addition of mineral fertil- 

 izer unless there is a sufficient amount of 

 humus present to put the soil in good 

 physical condition. Therefore, the phys- 

 ical condition as well as the chemical 

 composition should be carefully consid- 

 ered in the effort to increase the fertility 



of soils. 



Live Stock 



One of the most important adjuncts 



of a farm on which sugar beets are 



grown is live stock, especially dairy cows. 

 It is doubtful whether any sugar beet 

 territory can build up a permanent agri- 

 culture unless considerable attention is 

 given to the production of live stock. 

 Not only will the live stock, if properly 

 handled, produce an important part of the 

 farm income, but they are very essential 

 in the matter of soil improvement, which 

 is brought about through the proper use 

 of the barnyard manure. The keeping of 

 live stock enables the beet grower to 

 make the best possible use of the beet 

 tops. This feed, in connection with 

 roughage which is easily produced, keeps 

 the live stock in good condition and en- 

 ables the farmer to return the mineral 

 elements in the tops to the soil and at 

 the same time to increase the supply of 

 soil humus. 



Sheep as well as cattle thrive on beet 

 tops, but it is wise to feed them sparingly 

 at first and to increase the allowance as 

 the stock become more accustomed to this 

 feed. The practice in some localities of 

 pasturing the tops after the beet roots 

 have been hauled from the field has the 

 advantage that it saves the time and 

 labor of hauling them, but it is more or 

 less wasteful. Furthermore, the ground 

 is often injured by the trampling of the 

 stock, so that altogether the most satis- 

 factory plan is to gather and haul the 

 tops to the feed yard, where they should 

 be fed in properly constructed racks to 

 avoid waste. 



Bj-Products 



The by-products of the beet field and 

 sugar mill that are of special importance 

 to the farmer are the beet tops, the pulp, 

 and the waste lime. Many farmers sell 

 the tops for a cash price ranging from 

 $2.50 to $5 per acre. In this case the 

 beet grower is the loser, for two reasons. 

 In the first place, the tops are of greater 

 value to him as a stock food; and, in the 

 second place, if he allows the tops to 

 leave his farm he loses their manurial 

 value. 



The most economical way to handle the 

 tops is to gather them into piles soon 

 after they wilt and before they become 

 thoroughly dried. However, if any dis- 



