ECONOMIC PLANTS 217 



sandy loam. In Wisconsin, Michigan, and central 

 New York heavier loams or clay loams, if well supplied 

 with moisture and not too stiff, are best adapted to 

 this crop. Too much humus or nitrogen will make the 

 plant run to leaves and reduce the sugar content. 

 The profits of the crop depend upon the yield and the 

 percentage of sugar from the beets, for most factories 

 pay for their beets on the basis of the sugar content. 

 As this percentage depends largely upon the grade of 

 seed sown, it follows that careful selection of seed is 

 the first factor in raising sugar beets profitably. Efforts 

 are now being made in various states to produce seed 

 of superior quality by scientific methods. Where this 

 is done and the farmer is careful to get his supply from 

 this reliable source, the percentage of sugar may be 

 expected to equal that of Germany, where the industry 

 has reached its highest development. 



The soil requires deep fall plowing after manure has 

 been applied, followed by spring plowing and thorough 

 harrowing. The soil must be mellow or the roots 

 may protrude above the ground, in which case that 

 portion exposed to the air will be entirely wasted. 

 The drills for the sugar beet are about one and one 

 half to two feet apart. It is not desirable that the roots 

 shall be very large, and in thinning them after the 

 plants have attained a little growth above the ground, a 

 space of no more than six inches should be left between 

 the plants. In some localities young plants are trans- 

 planted like cabbages. This, with the careful cultiva- 

 tion necessary, makes the labor cost of production high. 



Sugar beets must be harvested before the frosts come. 

 The roots may be loosened by machinery; they are 

 then pulled and the tops cut off. If they cannot be 



