THE BEET-SUGAR INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 29 



commercial fertilizers do not seem to be effective. This may be clue to 

 the physical condition of the soil. The greatest benefits are obtained 

 from commercial fertilizers when the soil is well supplied with 

 humus. There should, of course, be a sufficient supply of moisture 

 in the soil to dissolve and hold in solution the plant foods that are 

 already present or that may be supplied in the form of a commercial 

 fertilizer. The benefits arising from the use of fertilizers, whether 

 stable manure, green crops, or niineral compounds, are frequently 

 noticeable over a period of several years: hence in estimating the 

 value of a fertilizer the results of several seasons' crops should be 

 taken into account. 



CROP ROTATION. 



Occasionally a farm is found on which beets are grown on the same 

 field year after year. While this seems to give satisfactory results 

 for a time in some instances, it is in general a poor method and one 

 that can not be recommended, since it tends to encourage the develop- 

 ment of certain sugar-beet pests which eventually render the crop un- 

 profitable. The rotation practiced in the various sugar-beet areas 

 must necessarily depend upon the crops that do best in these several 

 localities, as well as upon the other crop and live-stock requirements 

 of the farm. In some areas, for example, the Irish potato is a profit- 

 able crop and forms an important link in a system of rotation with 

 sugar beets. In other areas the Irish potato is not successful, and in 

 such sections it would be a waste of time and money to undertake to 

 utilize it in rotation with sugar beets. Again, there are areas in 

 which the muskmelon is very satisfactory and rotates well with 

 sugar beets or other crops; in other parts of the sugar-beet terri- 

 tory the muskmelon can not be grown with success. In planning the 

 rotations, therefore, one must have in mind not only the crops that will 

 rotate well with sugar beets, but also the success of those crops inde- 

 pendently. The grower must also consider the practicability of 

 handling such crops from the standpoint of his returns ; for example, 

 in some sugar-beet areas alfalfa gives good yields, but because the 

 hauls are so long the value of the alfalfa under normal conditions is 

 not sufficient to pay the transportation charges and leave a reason- 

 able profit. Therefore, unless there is an abundance of live stock to 

 utilize the alfalfa locally or unless it is needed as a soil improver, 

 it is not a satisfactory rotation crop in certain localities in spite of 

 the fact that it produces satisfactory yields. Our studies of the 

 various sugar-beet sections indicate that live stock is an important 

 factor in crop rotation on the sugar-beet farms. As already indi- 

 cated, certain crops can be grown to advantage if there is an abund- 

 ance of live stock to utilize them. Even if certain crops could be 

 sold from the farm at a reasonable return above the cost of produc- 



