344 Fertilizers 



not primarily beets, but sugar, and since the sugar for- 

 mation is not perfected until the absorption of the neces- 

 sary food from the soil has been in large part completed, 

 any fertilization which promotes a too rapid or too long- 

 continued growth has a tendency to reduce the percentage 

 of sugar; and inasmuch as the maturation takes place 

 largely in the months of early fall, the growth must be 

 forced early in the season. That is, it is essential that a 

 large and rapid leaf growth be made early, in order that 

 the food from the air may be acquired. It has been demon- 

 strated that for this early and rapid growth of the beet, 

 phosphoric acid is one of the most essential constituents, 

 which explains the need for phosphoric acid in larger pro- 

 portion than is indicated by the composition of the beet. 

 The crop requires a considerably greater supply of phos- 

 phoric acid at this stage of its growth than other farm 

 crops which are quite as exhaustive, and it is also evident 

 that in order that the crop may obtain the phosphoric 

 acid at this period, it must be soluble and immediately 

 available; hence the larger portion of this element 

 applied should be derived from superphosphates. In 

 the matter of fertilization with nitrogen, the object of 

 the growth must also be kept in view. An application 

 which would encourage steady and continuous growth, 

 rather than an early and rapid growth, while contributing 

 to a large yield, causes a reduction in the sugar content 

 of the beet. Hence it is strongly urged by those who are 

 in a position to give sound advice, that the early nitrogen 

 fertilization should consist of the quickly available forms, 

 nitrate or ammonia, and that the organic or slower-acting 

 forms should not be applied in such excess as to encourage 

 a late growth. Hence it is, that upon medium and light 

 lands the use of commercial fertilizers has proved of greater 



