1922.] 



Sugar Beet GRO^VING. 



Mineral manures are very freely used, and mr( e.-sfiil growers 

 of beet in the liOw Couiitiies give the following applications as 

 suitable for the production of good retuins i)i their respective 



The applications used in Zeeland have been established as 

 the result of controlled experimental work. In these experi- 

 ments, kainit, at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre, was added to the 

 manures given above, but since this application did not in any 

 v/ay improve the crop, and since the alluvial soil contains 

 sufficient available potash, the practice of using kainit w^as dis- 

 continued in that part of the country. In North Brabant, 

 however, and in Belgium. appUcations of potash manures are 

 necessary. 



Tlie amounts of mineral manures applied in the Belgian 

 district quoted above illustrate the variation of manurial needs 

 according to the type of soil. The applications are higher than 

 those given by farmers in other parts of the country, but it must 

 be admitted that during this dry year such heavy manuring 

 proved advantageous, for the crops there were both early and 

 heavy. A much more general Belgian manuring is : — 

 10 tons of farmyard manure, applied early in autumn. 



5 cwt. superphosphate or basic slag. 



3 cw^t. kainit or sylvinit. 



3 cw^t. ammonium sulphate or nitrate of soda. 

 When the dressings given above are compared with those adopted 

 in England, the outstanding differences are in the amounts of 

 superphosphate and nitrogenous manures. The large dressing 

 of nitrate of soda or of sulphate of ammonia has proved its useful- 

 ness. The nitrogen forces the plant into early gi'owth and 

 prevents any check throughout the growing season, but this 

 continued growth does not. as one might expect, delay the time 

 of harvesting. From the results observed in the IjOW Countries, 

 it appears that an increase in the amount of quick acting nitro- 

 genous manures might be of advantage in England. 



The farmyard manure should be applied and spread before the 

 second ploughing in the autumn. The superphosphate or slag, 

 and the kainit, are sown at the end of December or during the 

 eaily part of January whenever the weather is favourable. The 

 nitrogenous manure is sown in doses, the first just before 



districts : — 



Sli pe rp hosp/if/fr A'a i n i t 



or or 

 Bua'ic slag. Sylvinit. 



cwt. per acre. cwt. per acre. 



Holland : Zeeland ... 

 Bel-inni: Velni ... 



5 



8 8 



