SOILS FOK SEED PKODUCTION. 145 



.grower, thus avoiding numerous subsequent dis- 

 cussions. 



Approximate Cost and Yield of Seed in Germany 

 and Austria. 



Between 135 and 140 days are required for 

 the seed to develop and to be harvested, from the time 

 the mother is planted. The yield in Austria and Ger- 

 many is 2000 to 3500 lbs. of seed per acre. A single 

 beet is known to have given 43,000 individual seeds, 

 but this is an exception. According to Briem, the 

 yield of beet seed in Silesia averages 1832 kilos per 

 hectare (1612 lbs. per acre); in Bohemia, 1945 kilos 

 (171 1 lbs. per acre). The success depends upon many 

 causes, among which are fertilization, soil, etc. 



The cost of cultivation is approximately as follows : 



1st year, 27,000 mothers— cost of planting 0,6 acres $ 36.00 



Value of the roots 35.00 



Harvesting, selecting, siloing, etc 125.00 



S 196.00 



2d year, selecting 337.00 



Planting 2ya acres, grandmothers 120.00 



457.00 



3d year, 20 acres seed 800.00 



4th year, 200 acres, mothers — general expense 10,000.00 



other expenses, chemists, etc., etc 1,977.00 



$13,430.00 

 With no allowance for interest and packing. 



The yield of seed would be 200x2000 lbs., equal 

 to 400,000 lbs., which means that the cost per pound is 

 about 3^ cents, or more correctly, allowing for other 

 expenses, four cents per pound. This supposes, as 

 these calculations show, that we start out with a small 

 area devoted to mothers; the production of these is not 

 considered in the calculation. The sowing of seed the 

 third year is on an area many times that began 

 with, and the fourth year only the seed is obtained. 



Silos for Mothers. 



The requisites for the proper construction of silos 

 for mothers, are very much the same as for beets to be 

 10 



