88 THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 
ground, thereby holding the moisture in the soil, and increase the germination of the 
weeds, etc. To secure a good crop, it is absolutely necessary to kill all the weeds in 
the ground before seeding. Here is where most failures occur, and if weeds are al- 
lowed to get a start, the cultivation of the crop will involve much unnecessary and 
expensive hand work. Therefore, to prepare a good seed bed, we advise working the 
soil four to five inches deep with a pulverizer, or better yet, witha corn cultivator, 
once lengthwise and once crosswise, making sure not to miss any spot in the field, as 
it is necessary to loosen any weeds that may have already sprouted. In California 
this has to be done whenever the weeds may start. Then harrow lengthwise and 
crosswise to level the soil perfectly and finish killing the weeds. After this, pack the 
top soil] to a depth of two to three inches well with a heavy roller; never use a plank 
float for this work, as floated ground is never well packed, and will besides increase 
blowing and washing. The better the soil is packed after the weeds are killed, the 
better the beet seed will sprout. All the above work must be performed at a time 
when the ground is‘in good working condition; that is, not too damp, as the working 
of wet soil must be strictly avoided. As beet seed requires considerable moisture to 
germinate, it would also be a great loss to the beet grower to allow the soil during the 
preparation of the seed bed to dry out; therefore in dry weather or in an average 
season, the field must be prepared and seeded the same day, this being the only way 
in which the moisture can be kept in the ground under the usual west conditions—a 
great feature in crop raising and especially so in beet culture. 
To prevent the soil blowing, which is very disastrous to the small beet plants (in 
Nebraska, even the best black bottom land will blow, if level and fine, which it must 
be to secure a good crop), run a light harrow over the field, after rolling but before 
seeding. This harrow must be very light and can be easily constructed and without 
much expense by using 2x2 pine pieces for the beams and large nails for the teeth, 
only letting them project below the beams 14 to 2 inches. This harrow must simply 
scratch the soil (not over half an inch deep), thus giving a rough surface, which will 
prevent blowing except on dry, sandy soil, on which, for this reason and some others, 
sugar beets should never be planted. The soil must not be loosened again by a deep 
harrowing, as this wouid injure the germination. 
There is a tendency to neglect some of these various preparations of the soil, but 
except on certain lands particularly adapted to the crop, every step above enumer- 
ated is essential. Too much care cannot be devoted to the preparation of soil and 
seed bed, for upon it success largely depends. Even if the season is unfavorable, the 
crop will do enough better on a well-prepared soil to pay for the labor, while in a 
favorable season, this work will yield a handsome dividend. It will be seen that 
such preparation is directly contrary to the careless way in which the land is usually 
worked for field crops. Right here is where beet culture differs from that of almost 
any other crop. It involves intense farming of the highest type. Not one of the old 
market gardens about New York, Philadelphia, or other eastern cities is more care- 
fully worked than the sugar beet requires for best results. 
SEEDING. 
To secure a full yield, it is absolutely necessary to have a good stand. It is much 
easier to thin out surplus beets with a good stand, than to have to plow under the 
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