578 



The Growth of Sugar Beet. [Jan., 



standard. The necessity of maintaining a high proportion of 

 sugar and of purity means a certain restriction of yield ; heavy 

 crops of big roots grown by the use of large quantities of 

 manure, such as are used in this country for the mangold 

 crop, mean roots that are deficient in purity. On the whole, 

 then, sugar beet should be grown on land in good condition 

 from previous cropping rather than on land specially enriched 

 for the crop in question. 



Choice of Land. — Sugar beet can be grown wherever mangolds 

 are found, but on the whole they are more suited to lighter and 

 warmer soils than the mangold prefers, dry and warm autumnal 

 conditions being particularly desirable to ripen the roots off. 

 The East and South-East of England, with the South Midlands, 

 are most likely to grow sugar beet of high quality. Strong, 

 well-worked soils give the best returns and peaty soils the 

 poorest ; it is necessary that there should be some lime in the 

 soil. 



Selection of Seed. — Many varieties have been tried from time 

 to time in this country ; the best appears to be the Kleinwanz- 

 lebener, which can be obtained from any of the great foreign 

 seed merchants. It is important that the seed should have a 

 high germinating power ; at least 70 per cent, of the seed should 

 germinate, and should average two shoots from each germinating 

 seed. 



Preparation of the Land. — In English farming sugar beet 

 would take the same place in a rotation as mangolds, and the 

 preparation of the land does not differ markedly from that 

 required for mangolds ; it is, however, desirable to attain a 

 deeper and more mellow tilth, since so much of the value of this 

 crop depends upon its quality. It is very necessary for sugar- 

 making to obtain shapely roots, free from forking, and this 

 means a mellow deeply-worked soil. All foreign cultivators 

 insist upon the importance of subsoiling, but this should take 

 place before the winter, so as to give the land time to settle 

 down and consolidate before sowing. If farmyard manure is 

 required it should be spread on the stubble and ploughed in at 

 an early date in the autumn. The best preparation will be to 

 follow up this ploughing, which should be 6 or 7 inches deep,, 

 with a subsoiler, working down to another 8 or 10 inches ; and 



