6 BULLETIN 238, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



OBSERVATIONS IN 1911. 



During the season of 1911 general notes were made of the germina- 

 tion stands without actual measurements or counts. Seven fields 

 were kept under observation, including soil types 2 and 3, namely, 

 light sandy loam and heavy black loam. These data also are pre- 

 sented in Table II. 



OBSERVATIONS IN 1912. 



During 1912 the studies were extended to include all three types of 

 soil. Careful notes were made of the germination stand prior to 

 thinning. The selected rows extended entirely across the field in each 

 instance. The data obtained are shown in Table II. 



ANALYSIS OF OBSERVATIONS. 



The analysis of observations for the season of 1910, as presented in 

 Table II, shows a complete correlation between yield and percentage 

 of stand. The small percentage of the ultimate stand is surprising, 

 the mean being only 43.6 per cent, and, although the average weight 

 of the beets is 1.453, 1.508, and 1.492 pounds, respectively, the excess 

 over 1 pound did not nearly compensate for the large area occupied 

 by each plant. This deficiency of stand was caused largely by careless 

 spacing and thinning. All the work was done by contract labor with 

 practically no supervision. The plats were in adjacent fields, where 

 the general conditions and cultural operations were almost identical. 



The harvest stands for 1911, though appreciably better than those 

 shown by the plats of 1910, exhibit a mean of only 56.155 per cent 

 (Table II). The correlation between stand and yield is rather 

 obscured by the special factors which developed during the season 

 on several plats. However, these factors throw additional sidelights 

 on the studies, since their influence on yield is very apparent. For 

 example, on plat A the cultural operations were left almost entirely 

 to young boys, without oversight. The thinning was very care- 

 lessly done, 6.89 per cent of the plants being left in pairs, which, for 

 practical purposes, means their entire loss. Weeds were allowed to 

 choke the beets for a great part of the season. On the other hand, the 

 owner of plat B is well known to be a fine truck grower, who docs all 

 the work with the assistance of his own family. The soil, through 

 years of intensive farming, is very deep and mellow. 



Plat D is located on much lighter soil than plat B, but with a stand 

 of considerably lower percentage it yielded almost as much for each 

 acre. This, in connection with the record of plats 1, 2, 3, and 4, of 

 1912, brings out the fact, which is contrary to the prevailing notion, 

 that beets will yield more heavily in deep light sandy soils if they are 

 well manured than in the somewhat heavy loams that have been 

 regarded as more typical beet soils. 



