16 
BULLETIN 23S, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
it to germinate later. Such belated plants add little to the tonnage. 
(PI. IV.) 
The daniping-off disease exacts its toll every season; it may be so 
severe as to more than decimate the stand (PL V). It is occasioned 
partly by fungi borne on the seed balls, and partly by fungi present 
in the soil. This disease seems to be severe when the spring weather 
is unfavorable for the rapid and vigorous germination and growth 
of the beets. 
An incrustation of the soil after rains sometimes prevents the young 
seedlings from breaking through, especially in heavy loams. These 
Fig. 3.— Three sugar beets, showing the effect of standing water or a wet subsoil upon the roots. 
crusts may with advantage be broken with a corrugated roller. 
(PL VI.) 
TTireworms and flea beetles are very troublesome and destructive 
in some localities (fig. 4). In this connection it would be of benefit 
to keep down weeds along fences, ditches, and roadsides. (PL VII.) 
It is entirely practicable to increase the percentage of the germina- 
tion stand to an extent that would amply repay the cost of the addi- 
tional labor required. Deeper plowing should be more generally 
practiced. The extra disking and harrowing would require only a 
few hours more labor per acre. In irrigated regions the extra labor 
