85 



cent of sugar and an average weight of 30 ounces. From some of the 

 counties in Nebraska very poor samples of beets were received, and 

 these tend to lower the average of the whole State. In many of the 

 counties the results compare iavorably with those from any part of the 

 country. 



EXPERIMENTAL WORK CONDUCTED BY THE EXPERIMENT STATION OF NEBRASKA ON 



SUGAR BEETS. 



Conducted by Profs. NICHOLSON and LOYD. 



[Abstract of results in Bulletin 21 of the Nebraska Station.] 



The work was divided into two sections, viz, the first section conducted on the 

 experimental farm of the station, and the second section conducted by distributing 

 seeds to various localities throughout the State and analyzing the samples received 

 from the different growers. 



Phenomenal yields were obtained ou the station plats. 



Plat A yielded 34 long tons per acre with a sugar content of 14.8 per cent. 



Plat B yielded 31 long tons per acre with 13.0 per cent of sugar. 



Plat C yielded 31.3 long tons per acre with 13.5 per cent of sugar. 



Plat U yielded 30.5 long tons per acre with 14.2 per cent of sugar. 



Plat E yielded 30.8 long tons per acre with 12.9 per cent of sugar. 



Another series of experiments was made to test the value of agricultural imple- 

 ments, and a third series to determine the effect of fertilizers. Bone dust, kaiuit, 

 nitrate of soda, guano, and phosphate were used singly and in mixtures without any 

 appreciably good effect upon the sugar content or tonnage of the beets. The average 

 yield in tons per acre from these various pluts \vas 15.5, and the average content of 

 sugar 13.3 per cent. The average cost per acre of the different plats harvested and 

 placed in the silo varied from $32.75 to $29.14. 



As a resulc of the whole study it was found that the newer ground not subsoiled 

 yielded on the average about 13 tons of topped beets per acre; whilst the same 

 ground, that had been thoroughly stirred to a depth of 16 inches, gave an average 

 yield of nearly 16 tons to the acre; while on the older ground, that which for a long 

 time had been under thorough cultivation, and had been tliDroughly subsoiled, the 

 average yield rose to 31.5 tons. 



It was found that in rainy weather in the autumn that by loosening the beets in 

 the row and allowing them to remain without harvesting, the sugar was preserved 

 better than if they were not so loosened. Comparative experiments showed that 

 with beets loosened in the row and left standing the average percentage of sugar 

 was 13.9, while in those which had not been loosened it dropped to 12.8. 



In the second series of experiments, viz, those in which seeds were sent to the 

 farmers, eighty-eight samples were received from the farmers, the average weight of 

 which was 22.74 ounces, and the average percentage of sugar (presumably in the 

 juice) reported from the analyses was 13.09. 



Nevada. Eighteen samples were received from this State, from 

 three counties of which one, Washoe, furnished fifteen. The average 

 percentage of sugar in the beet for the State was 17.2 and the average 

 weight of beefc 11 ounces. Washoe County, which practically furnished 

 all the samples from the State, also leads in the quality of the beets ob- 

 tained. The numbers representing their quality are almost phenomenal 

 with the exception of the average weight, which is only about what it 

 should be. This doubtless accounts for the fact that the beets were so 

 exceptionally rich. The fifteen samples from this county showed an 



