CHAPTER VIII 
PREPARATION OF SEED-BED AND PLANTING 
THE seed-bed is the home of the young plant. If that 
home is favorable, the plant gets a good start and has a 
fair chance to make a satisfactory growth; if it is un- 
favorable, the plant is doomed. No matter how good the 
seed or what provisions are made for caring for the crop 
later on in its life, a satisfactory yield cannot be obtained 
unless the plant has a favorable condition in which to 
begin its life and to grow during the period when it is tender. 
In outlining methods of obtaining a good seed-bed, it 
must be remembered that conditions differ widely and 
that no practice will fit all conditions. The object is to 
make the soil a suitable home for the young plant. The 
practice that will produce this result in any locality is the 
one to use. In discussing the question for all conditions, 
only general suggestions can be offered ; the details must 
be worked out locally. 
EFFECT OF PREVIOUS CROP 
The methods of preparing land for sugar-beets cannot 
be discussed independently of the previous crop. Ifa sod 
crop is followed by beets, every effort must be made to 
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