82 



judging at least by one season's work, is extremely well adapted to the 

 production of sugar beets of high quality. 



In regard to the tables the following remarks are found in Bulletin 

 15: 



The average results for different counties show in some instances wide differences 

 in quality of the beets. But wide differences are also found between the beets 

 grown on different farms in the same county, and even between those of different 

 plats or fields of the same farm. Some of these differences may be, probably are, due 

 to the soil itself, but without doubt very many are due to the modes of preparing the 

 soil and cultivating the crop. Therefore it is not safe to assume that the relative 

 adaptability of the different counties to the beet-sugar industry is truly, or even ap- 

 proximately, represented by the results of a single year's investigation and this is 

 of course especially true of those counties from which but few samples were received. 



It is true the results of the State as a whole do not indicate as high an average 

 quality of beet as is reported from some States in the drier regions further we^t and 

 northwest ; but on the other hand the average yield of beet per acre is in Iowa very 

 mucli larger than is possible in those States, without irrigation. Therefore, even 

 should this indication regarding quality be in future verified (it is now only an indi- 

 cation), that difference would probably be more than balanced by the superior yield 

 per acre possible with the soil and climate of Iowa. It is generally asserted, and 

 doubtless with truth, that for profitable sugar manufacture there is required an aver- 

 age quality of beet represented by a sugar content of at least 12 per cent (on the 

 beet) and a purity coefficient of nearly 80 or upwards. But quality of beet is not 

 all. Plainly, the yield of beets per acre is an equally important factor in determining 

 profit. 



Kansas. Thirty-six samples were received from the State of Kansas, 

 representing seventeen counties. The mean results for the whole State 

 were, sugar in the beet, 10.69, and average weight of beet, 33 ounces. 

 The counties showing good results were Harvey, two samples averaging 

 3.61 of sugar in the beet, with an average weight of 22 ounces; and 

 Edwards County, one sample with 14.8 per cent of sugar in the beet 

 and with an average weight of 43 ounces. This is a very high result 

 considering the size of the beet. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH BEETS AT TUB SORGHUM EXPERIMENT STATION, STERLING, 



KANSAS. 



An acre and a half was planted in beets, of the Vilmorin and Kleinwanzlebei 

 varieties. The land was plowed in the fall; in the spring it was plowed and als 

 subsoiled to a depth of 12 inches. The seed was planted April 15, in rows 

 inches apart, at the rate of 15 pounds per acre. The expense of growing the beets, 

 including rent of land at $3.50 per acre, labor at $1.50 per day, seed at 25 cents per 

 pound, and the expense of harvesting, not including hauling the beets, was $72. 



The beets yielded 17 tons per acre of clean, topped beets. The average per cent- 

 age of sugar in the beets, when harvested, was 11.97. The purity was 80. Assum- 

 ing that the beets were worth $3 per ton, the crop was worth, at a factory, $76. 

 It is believed that by planting in 30-inch rows, using a horse cultivator instead 

 performing all the labor by hand, and having experience in beet growing, the expem 

 could be lessened and the profit could be increased. On this point the conclusioi 

 of the Wisconsin Experiment Station appear correct. 



Kentucky. Three samples were received from the State of Kentucky, 

 representing two counties. The average percentage of sugar in 

 beets was 9.12 and tfre average weight of the beets 34 ounces. 



