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virgin in its nature, an additional plat of land was rented which had been 

 several years in cultivation, and this was prepared in the same manner 

 for the reception of the seed. A beet of uniform size and proper shape, 

 with a single tap root, can not be secured until the ground is loosened to 

 a sufficient depth to allow the normal growth of the plant. If the tap 

 root strikes a hard piece of earth at a depth of from 7 to 9 inches, it is 

 naturally deflected in its course, or extra roots are formed and the beet 

 becomes misshapen and tends to grow above the surface of the soil. 

 There is, therefore, in beet culture an absolute necessity of securing a 

 soil loosened to a sufficient depth to allow the tap root to penetrate 

 easily from 15 to 17 inches. 



Attention should also be called to the methods of planting and the 

 times of planting. It was decided to illustrate the effect produced by 

 planting at different periods, beginning as early in the season as prac- 

 ticable and continuing until late in the spring. By reason of the pecu- 

 liar climatic conditions, however, which have been mentioned, namely, 

 the very dry April and May, the full effect of this experiment could not 

 be determined, as the beets practically all started to grow at the same 

 time, near the end of May. It will be necessary, therefore, to repeat 

 such experiments as these in regard to time of planting for several 

 years in order to determine fully the effect of early and late planting on 

 the crop as a general rule. It will be found, no doubt, that there are 

 many soils where early planting will prove more advantageous, while, 

 on the contrary, many others will be found where the late planting will 

 be the most successful. In the absence, therefore, of any experimental 

 data of a reliable nature on this matter it will be best for sugar-beet 

 planters who are raising beets for commercial purposes to practice 

 early, medium, and late planting in order that they may have at least a 

 portion of their crop suited to the season, whatever it may prove to be. 



In such a climate as Schuyler there is, of course, a liability to late 

 frosts as well as early freezes, so that all these matters should be taken 

 into consideration in regard to the time of planting. 



In regard to the manner of planting, I think it sufficiently demon- 

 strated that nothing is superior to the method of drilling which we 

 practiced. We found that it was an easy matter to determine the num- 

 ber of pounds of seed dropped per acre by tying a bag under the nose 

 of the drill and running it back and forth over a hard road through a 

 distance which would correspond to one-eighth or one-quarter of an 

 acre. The bag which had secured the seed which was deposited by the 

 drill was then removed and the amount of seed weighed. By this 

 method we had no difficulty whatever in adjusting the drill to plant 

 any quantity of seed required. If the experience of one season should 

 prove of any value, then the amount of seed which we used during the 

 past season, namely, about 17 pounds per acre, was entirely sufficient. 



In regard to the depth of planting also great care should be exer- 

 cised. We endeavored to have the seed deposited about 1 inch under 



