SOILS FOR SEED PRODUCTION'. 135 



used. Very small roots are never to be relied upon, 

 because they mean a stunted growth, and will yield 

 seeds that would give • mothers possessing the 

 same characteristics. 



We have always insisted upon the fact -that, in 

 many cases, there were great advantages in the culti- 

 vation in hills. Herr Marek, in very extended 

 experiments, has shown that beets selected for mothers 

 which have been obtained in hills, are richer in sugar, 

 and transmit their qualities with greater ease than 

 beets obtained by flat cultivation. 



The planting is done in March, this varying 

 somewhat according to years, but under all circum- 

 stances it should be as early as possible, and the roots 

 used for mothers must be thoroughly matured. During 

 the first stage of the plant development, a hand hoeing 

 between the rows i^ feet apart is very important, as 

 later on the cultivator cannot reach these points; after 

 four or five days, this hoeing is followed by a second 

 hoeing. As soon as the stalks commence to appear, a 

 powerful cultivator, drawn by oxen, is run between the 

 rows as frequently as possible, this operation being 

 discontinued only when the passage is obstructed by 

 the luxuriant vegetation; the stalks should not, in any 

 way, be disturlaed after the flower forms. The 

 natural result of this working is to open up the soil, and 

 thus place it in an excellent condition for the mothers 

 to draw all the plant food they require. 



This planting of mothers is also a very delicate 

 operation. The mothers which have been selected must 

 be free from bruises of any kind; they are carried to the 

 fields in baskets, in gangs; a special spade is used for 

 making the hole to receive each mother. It is generally 

 found desirable to plant the mothers in a slanting 

 direction ; in this manner they are better able to resist 

 the action of variable winds. The tip end of the 

 mothers may, when too long, be cut off, but it is, in all 



