SUGAR BEETS. 



CROP GROWN BY JOEL BURT, OF SUNDERLAND. 



The half acre of land on which the beets were grown is a fine loam 

 river soil. In 1877 it produced wheat and in 1878 clover, not having 

 received any manure since 1876. Last jear fifteen loads of stable 

 manure, thirt}' bushels per load, were spread on and plowed in ; the 

 piece was then set with tobacco. This 3-ear the land was plowed once 

 in April to a depth of eight inches, pulverized thoroughly, harrowed 

 and carefuU}' raked. The fertilizer was applied broadcast, fourteen 

 dollars' worth of Bradley's XL super-phosphate, and no other was 

 used. The land being now readj^ to receive the seed, this was sown 

 the twentieth of April, with Matthew's Seed Drill, in rows twenty 

 inches apart ; four pounds of seed was used, furnished by the 

 Franklin Beet Sugar Co. As soon as the plants appeared the piece 

 was gone over with a hand cultivator and in a few daj^s the plants 

 were thinned to about eight inches apart in the row. The seed came 

 up so well that no transplanting was required, as a result the beets 

 were smooth and free from prongs. The piece was hoed three times 

 and kept free from weeds. On the twentj'-sixth of October com- 

 menced to harvest, this was done by pulling up the beets and twisting 

 oflT the tops with the hands, leaving the beets in rows convenient for 

 carting away. The beets were drawn to South Deerfield and placed 

 on board the cars. This added somewhat to the expense of harvesting, 

 more than if the beets had been stored in the pits or cellar. The 

 beets on the one half acre were weighed and amounted to 35,810 

 pounds. The cost of producing is as follows : — 



