196 



SUGAR BEET SEED. 



rows and seven inches between beets, most of the agri- 

 cultural implements now in existence could not be 

 used. Consequently, upon general principles, it is 

 desirable to adapt one's self to local conditions, arrang- 

 ing so that an average cart can have free circulation 

 between rows. If beets are in any way bruised there 

 is sure to follow a loss of sugar. 



It is claimed that beets cultivated near together 

 have greater maturing powers than those far apart, and 

 that they are better able to resist the prolonged drouth. 

 It is very essential under such conditions that the soil 

 be worked at a considerable depth. It is self-evident 

 that when fertilizers are used their assimilation by the 

 plant during its development must necessarily be 

 greater at short than at long distances. During 

 the latter condition, the drainage soils carry ofif a large 

 portion of the plant food, producing material eflfects 

 upon the root. Realizing the importance of cultivating 

 beets close together, the riianufacturer frequently offers 

 prizes,* the value of which ^ aries with the number of - 

 plants obtained to the acre. In theory, it would be 

 possible to calculate the amount of seed required, but 

 the results obtained would be very misleading. 



Some German experiments show that the coeffi- 

 cient of purity increases by planting near together. 

 The experiments were: 



The fertilizers were made to vary on each patch; for 

 example, in No. i Record there were 12.8 lbs. nitrogen 

 in the form of sodic nitrate, and 51 lbs. phosphoric acid. 



*For example : 



For 30,000 beets to the acre S0.25 per ton 



" 40,000 " " " 0.40 " " 



" 50,000 " " " 0.60 " " 



