THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



from the surface with but little root develop-* 

 ment in the upper 6 inches of the soil. The 

 greatest amount of branching and fibrous 

 growth of beet roots took place in the space 

 between 8 and 14 inches in depth. The ef- 

 fect of subsoiling on the root growth and de- 

 velopment of sugar-beets, as studied by this 

 station, resulted in a considerably better de- 

 velopment of feeding roots and a more sym- 

 metrical development of the main root on the 

 subsoiled plats. The Kansas Station also 

 found that the root system of the sugar-beet 

 lies comparatively deep, and that the crop 

 therefore admits of deep cultivation. 



This study of the roots of plants gives us 

 a clearer idea of the proper methods of pre- 

 paring and cultivating the soil for the differ- 

 ent field crops. In general, root systems of 

 crops like corn, potatoes, beets, beans, etc., 

 reach from row to row and near the surface, 

 and hence should be given shallow cultivation, 

 though beets may be cultivated deeper than 

 the other crops mentioned. 



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