BEETS 
not soluble Under such circumstances 
the souls, while rich, are not fertile If 
one or more of the required elements is 
lacking or is not present in the soul in 
sufficient quantity to produce a normal 
plant growth, it 1s clear that such ele- 
ment or elements should be added in an 
available form. If, however, the neces- 
sary plant foods are all present in the 
soil but some of them are not soluble, the 
problem is entirely different and consists 
in so treating the soil that all the ele- 
ments are reduced to soluble forms. Fre- 
quently the fertility of a soil may be in- 
creased by giving it proper tillage at the 
right time without the addition of any 
material. 
The vegetable fertilizers in common use 
are stable manure and green crops. The 
principal function of the vegetable fertil- 
izer is to so improve the physical condi- 
tion of the soil that the elements already 
in the soil are rendered soluble and there- 
fore available for the plant. Nearly all 
irrigated soils are deficient in humus, and 
for this reason it is important to make 
use of the greatest possible amount of 
stable manure, 
As a rule, the amount of stable manure 
produced upon most farms is insufficient 
to supply the required quantity of humus 
to irrigated soils. For this reason the 
stable manure should be supplemented by 
plowing under green crops. If the sup- 
ply of nitrogen in the soil as well as the 
supply of humus is deficient, nitrogen- 
storing plants, such as alfalfa, clover, 
peas, beans, ete., should be used as a 
green fertilizer. If the humus only is 
deficient, such crops aS rape, rye, sorg- 
hum, ete., may be used. A soil which is 
deficient in one or more of the mineral 
elements will not respond to the fullest 
extent to the addition of mineral fertil- 
izer unless there is a sufficient amount of 
humus present to put the soil in good 
physical condition. Therefore, the phys- 
ical condition as well as the chemical 
composition should be carefully consid- 
ered in the effort to increase the fertility 
of soils. . 
Live Stock 
One of the most important adjuncts 
of a farm on which sugar beets are 
609 
grown 1s live stock, especially dairy cows. 
It 1s doubtful whether any sugar beet 
territor) can build up a permanent agri- 
culture unless considerable attention is 
given to the production of live stock. 
Not only will the live stock, if properly 
handled, produce an important part of the 
farm income, but they are very essential 
in the matter of soil improvement, which 
is brought about through the proper use 
of the barnyard manure The keeping of 
live stock enables the beet grower to 
make the best possible use of the beet 
tops This feed, in connection with 
roughage which is easily produced, keeps 
the live stock in good condition and en- 
ables the tarmer to return the mineral 
elements in the tops to the soil and at 
the same time to increase the supply of 
soil humus. 
Sheep as well as cattle thrive on beet 
tops, but it is wise to feed them sparingly 
at first and to increase the allowance as 
the stock become more accustomed to this 
feed. The practice in some localities of 
pasturing the tops after the beet roots 
have been hauled from the field has the 
advantage that it saves the time and 
labor of hauling them, but it is more or 
less wasteful. Furthermore, the ground 
is often injured by the trampling of the 
stock, so that altogether the most satis- 
factory plan is to gather and haul the 
tops to the feed yard, where they should 
be fed in properly constructed racks to 
avoid waste. 
By-Products 
The by-products of the beet field and 
sugar mill that are of special importance 
to the farmer are the beet tops, the pulp, 
and the waste lime. Many farmers sell 
the tops for a cash price ranging from 
$2.50 to $5 per acre. In this case the 
beet grower is the loser, for two reasons. 
In the first place, the tops are of greater 
value to him as a stock food: and, in the 
second place, if he allows the tops to 
leave his farm he loses their manurial 
value. 
The most economical way to handle the 
tops is to gather them into piles soon 
after they wilt and before they become 
thoroughly dried However, if any dis- 
