THE BEET-SUGAR INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 15 
producing a spotted or uneven stand. The seed should be drilled 
into the firm seed bed, so that it will be constantly in contact with 
the moist soil. (PL I, fig. 1.) Poor stands are probably produced 
oftener by too deep and uneven planting, due to a poorly prepared 
seed bed, than by any other cause. 
Date of planting. — No specific date for planting beet seed can be 
given, since much depends upon local soil and weather conditions. 
In general, however, it has been found that the soil should be warm 
and uniformly moist before the seed is planted, as beet seed will not 
germinate satisfactorily in a cold, unevenly moistened bed. A few of 
the stronger plants may come up in the moist spots if the seed bed is 
not too cold, but the stand will be uneven and far from perfect. It 
is advisable, therefore, to see that the soil conditions are right before 
planting. Generally there is a planting period of several weeks 
during which the seed may be placed in the ground with good 
results. It has been observed that late plantings will frequently 
give better results than the very early plantings. It is not advisable 
to plant in soil that is too dry or too wet. If the soil is too dry and 
irrigating water is available, it is best to irrigate before planting ; if 
irrigating water is not available and the indications are favor- 
able for rain, it will usually be advisable to wait until rain has fallen. 
If the ground is too wet when the seed is planted, there is danger of 
the seed rotting and thereby failing to produce a stand. 
Winds. — In some localities wind is an important factor affecting 
the stand of sugar beets. Aside from the effect of wind upon seed 
formation, as previously noted, wind is effective in two ways in in- 
juring the stand of beets. If the soil is sandy, strong winds may shift 
the sand so that the seed is covered too deeply and the young plants 
can not get through to the light, and if the beet seedlings are up the 
wind may carry the fine particles of sand against the tender plants 
with such force that they are destroyed or severely injured. This 
frequently occurs in level areas where strong winds prevail in early 
spring. The destructive effect of winds may be overcome, in part 
at least, by drilling in the seed at right angles to the direction of 
the prevailing winds and by ridging the ground slightly between 
the rows. 
Crust. — In many sugar-beet localities the soil has a strong ten- 
dency to crust if it is moistened and then quickly dried. Showers 
sometimes fall shortly after the seed is planted, followed by sun- 
shine and drying winds, and in cases where the soil has a tendency 
to bake a very hard crust will frequently form, which will either 
prevent the young plants from coming through to the light or will 
cause a very uneven stand. The crust formed will vary in thickness, 
depending upon the nature of the soil and the conditions of the 
weather. If the crust is thin and the young plants have not been 
