No. 14. 



Sugar-Beet 



231 



adapted to the cultivation of beets, but the 

 best soils for the purpose are those that have 

 the greatest depth of vegetable mould. They 

 may be cultivated with good success upon 

 natural or artificial grass lands, but they come 

 up badly when sown in the spring upon such 

 lands as are are broken up in the preceding 

 autumn, the turf and roots do not in so short a 

 time become sufficiently decomposed, and in 

 order to have good beet-roots it is necessary 

 to raise a crop of oats between the time of 

 breaking up a meadow and sowing it with 

 beet-seed, atler this two successive crops of 

 the finest beets may be grown. Dry, cal- 

 careous and light soils are but little suited to 

 the culture of this root, nor will it flourish 

 well in strong clayey soils.* 



SITUATION OF THE GROUND. 



The position of the ground employed for 

 this culture is not a matter of indifference. 

 In highland the beet succeeds but imperfect- 

 ly in dry seasons, but it is then easily worked ; 

 tiie crops on these high grounds are abundant 

 in wet seasons. In low marsh grounds the 

 case is reversed, the crop is drowned, and the 

 beet generally saturated with water, whilst 

 in warm dry years the crops are excellent, 

 because the heat and drought are counter- 

 acted by the fresh and moist sub-soil. To 

 obtain average crops it is, therefore, prudent 

 when it can be done, to choose a situation ex- 

 posed to neither of these extremes. 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



Generally speaking I cultivate beets upon 

 all such lands as are appropriated tor sowino- 

 grain upon in the fall. The lands I prepare 

 for receiving the seed by tliree good tillings, 

 two of which are performed in the winter, 

 and one in the spring, by this last ploughing 

 the dung which is thrown upon the ground 

 after the second is mixed witli it, the quantity 

 of manure employed is the same as if the 

 ground was to be immediately sown with 

 wheatf Tlie importance of thorough plough- 

 ing, harrowing, rolling, and all other means 

 of improving soils is now pretty well under- 

 stood. All plants do not require in the same 

 degree these precautions, and tliose which 

 require them least generally rank among 

 exhausting plants, while those that can least 

 dispense with them are considered fertili- 

 THng. The beet is of this latter description, 

 and one of the leading advantages which it 

 offers to agriculture is the necessity it creates 

 not only for deep and thorough ploughings, 

 but moreover the careful culture it requires, 

 and the means necessajy to getherit, must in 

 the aggregate necessarily leave the soil in a 



♦ Chaptals Agricultural Chemistry, page 317* 

 i lb. 31S- 



highly improved state, and tlie benefits 

 therefore to rural economy which an exten- 

 sive culture of this plant must produce are 

 incalculable. 



SOWING BEET SEED. 



ChAptal, always good authority, says that 

 beet-seed may be sown in either of the three 

 following methods. 1. In a seed-plot. 2, 

 in drills. 3. broad-cast. The first of these, 

 ways offers to the agriculturist the advantage 

 of requiring much the least time at a season 

 of the year when every moment is precious — 

 the young plants may be transplanted the 

 latter part of May or in the month of June 

 before hay-harvest The first and third 

 method of sowing are objectionable. Chaptal 

 employed the process of sowing broad-cast for 

 several years, but abandoned it for sowing in 

 drills, as being more sure and more economi- 

 cal. For this purpose, as soon as the ground 

 is prepared I trace upon the surface, by means 

 of a harrow armed with four teeth, distant 

 about eighteen inches from each other, fiir- 

 rows of an inch in depth ; the seed is dnjp- 

 ped in these furrows at intervals of sixteen 

 inches, by women or children who follow the 

 harrow, and who cover the earth over the 

 seeds with their hands. Each woman can 

 plant in this manner, six or eight thousand 

 seeds in a day, — page 319. Four pounds of 

 seeds will be sufficient to plant an acre. But 

 whatever mode may be followed it is neces- 

 sary to observe the three following rules. 

 1. To sow only new and naturally fertile 

 soils. 2. Not to place the seed at the depth 

 of more than an inch. 3. Not to sow the 

 seed too thick. 



WEEDING AND OTHER LABOR NECESSARY TO 

 THE CULTURE OF THE BEET. 



Few plants require more care than beets, 

 their development being greatly impeded by 

 the neigliborhood of other plants, and if the 

 soil be not light and loose around them, they 

 languish, turn yellow and cease to grow. — • 

 If the plants are sown in furrows, the plough 

 or cultivator may be passed between the 

 rows, and the roots of the plants be cleared 

 with the weeding fork. The same operation 

 must be repeated at least twice in a season. 

 As weeding opens the earth to the free en- 

 trance of air and water, the plants may be 

 seen to be benefitted by it ; the green of their 

 leaves deepens, their roots increase in size, 

 and their foliage expands. — ChaptaL 



It is well suited for feeding milch cows^ 

 being exceedingly nutritious, and causing 

 them to give abundant milk, while it does 

 not taint it with the bad flavor which turnepa 

 give. — Low. 



Remarks on the gathering and preserra- 

 tioB of the beet-root will be given liereafter> 



