202 The Sugar-Beet in America 
spread and unite till a great part of the surface of the beet 
may be covered. 
On potatoes the disease may be controlled by treating 
the tubers, but this treatment is not applicable to beets. 
Beets should not be planted on land known to be infected 
with scab, and particular care should be taken not to 
follow scabby potatoes with beets. 
Soft-rot (Bacterium teuthum Met.). 
This rot has done considerable damage in Nebraska and 
in a number of other states where beets are grown. “It?! 
consists of a rotting away of the lower portion of the root, 
the crown and leaves remaining normal except in the most 
severe cases, when the outer leaves may fall. The rotted 
portion is honeycombed with cavities which are filled with 
viscous, colorless, sour-smelling fluid which exudes on 
pressure. The decayed tissue is usually yellowish gray. 
The rot seldom appears above the surface of the ground. 
Young beets are not susceptible. The disease is favored 
by damp surroundings, as poorly drained soil. In some 
cases, large damage is known to result, sometimes fully 
90 per cent of the crop being affected. It is inadvisable, 
if the disease is noted, to grow beets in wet soil.” 
The moisture condition of the soil seems to have great 
influence on soft-rot. 
Beet-rust (Uromyces betae Kuhn). 
This rust, which has been known in Europe for a half 
century, is found in some American beet fields, particularly 
1Stevens, F. L., and Hall, J. G., ‘‘Diseases of Economic 
Plants.” (1910), p. 209. 
