VoL. LX. No. 2674 
NEW YORK, APRIL 27, 1901 
«1 PER YEAR 
ESSENTIALS OF SUGAR-BEET CULTURE. 
GREAT CARE IN PREPARING THE SOIl,. 
Special Needs of the Crop. 
SOME PECULIARITIES.—The first thing is to 
iearn the habits of the plant. It is different from 
anything else I have ever tried, and does not appeal 
to the average grain and stock raiser. Sugar beet 
seed germinates slowly, and the young beets make 
but little growth for a few weeks. One cannot wait 
for them to be of good size before cultivating, as the 
weeds will be too large. They grow into the ground, 
and the top root may be two feet long, which enables 
them to withstand drought and the effects of the 
weeder without injury. Breakifag off the leaves is 
often a benefit, and abroad they are picked off and fed 
to the stock. The effect is to cause greater root 
growth, and for this reason one need not handle them 
as he would eggs. It is intensive farming, and the 
most successful, so far, are foreigners, market garden¬ 
ers and vegetable growers, who understand the neces¬ 
sity of, and saving in thorough preparation before 
sowing the seeds. 
SUITABLE SOIL.—A soil which is loose, and 10 or 
more inches deep before the harder subsoil is reached, 
will grow sugar beets if 
naturally drained enough 
for crops of corn or pota¬ 
toes. Fields approaching 
in color and texture a 
black muck swamp which 
have clay loam, or sand 
enough to make them hold 
together, so as to form a 
firm seed bed, are nearest 
our ideal, but heavier clay 
loams, with more labor 
and proper care produce 
fine yields. Dry hills, 
stony, shallow soils arci 
heavy clays, are not suit¬ 
able, and gravel is uncer¬ 
tain. Perhaps the best soil 
is a dark, sandy loam. 
Stone and uneven surfaces 
do not prevent growth, but 
are objected to because of 
the inconvenience of work¬ 
ing the crop. Sod ground 
plowed deep, and prefer¬ 
ably, in the Fall, will an¬ 
swer, but my first choice is 
a corn, potato or buckwheat stubble, and It is all the 
better if it was highly manured. Subsoiling does not 
pay where one can plow nine inches deep, and the 
bottom of the furrow Is not hardpan or hard clay. 
Clay loams with solid subsoils are benefited. The 
concensus of opinion indicates that farm manure is 
the best fertilizer for large yields, and phosphatic 
next. Too much use of nitrogen is often an Injury. 
A PERFECT SEEDING.—The profit of the crop de¬ 
pends on getting a perfect stand. They are not worth 
enough to pay to transplant; and vacant spots, if 
seeded the second time, give indifferent results. To 
insure plenty of plants, use plenty of seed, and have 
the best possible seed bed. The profit of the crop de¬ 
pends also on the cheapness of growing. Thought 
and care must be given at every point to reduce cost. 
As soon as the soil is dry enough to work plow and 
harrow the field. When the weeds have sprouted, 
harrow and kill them. In a week harrow again. Do 
this as many times as possible before time to sow, 
which in this section is May 20. The last two work¬ 
ings harrow lightly. Weed seeds which are three 
inches below the surface will not grow, and should 
not be brought up to the top. The aim is to firm tUe 
8ee^ Ijed, and free it ffom wee4e tiefore tlie bee^ we 
sown. All things considered, a grain drill Is the best 
and cheapest machine for seeding with. Use 10 to 14 
pounds of seed per acre, and have the rows 21 inches 
apart, or every third tooth. Let the commercial fer¬ 
tilizer run in all but the seed tooth, and, if applied in 
small amounts, in all. Care must be taken not to 
get the seed too deep, and we roll the ground before 
seeding, so the wheels will run even, and not sink so 
deep. Cover the seed to the depth of one-half to 1^ 
inch, according to the state of the soil. If very dry 
and rains not probable they should be planted deeper 
than if soil is moist. Should a crust form, or weeds 
start before the beets prick through to the surface, 
use the weeder, going once across the rows, about 
four days before the beets appear. This crust, if hard, 
especially on clay loam, must be broken. 
MUST NOT BE CROWDED.—Prompt action in 
thinning will save many days’ labor, and the block¬ 
ing out with the hoe can be done faster before than 
after the first cultivation. While the beets are in the 
second and third leaf run the weeder across the rows 
and tear out half the beets. In three days, if there is 
a good stand, use the weeder the second time, and 
then cut out seven-inch spaces with a hoe, leaving as 
small a space as possible in the block, which will con¬ 
tain from one to four beets. With a narrow hoe cut 
out all but the most vigorous plant in each block. 
The plants would then average eight inches or more 
apart. In blocking out save vigorous plants, even If 
spaces are not regular, but be sure to give space, for 
a large growth. With large beets the yield will be 
greater, and more easily and cheaply handled. By 
prompt action in thinning, nearly, if not all, pulling 
out by hand can be avoided. The seed required 
costs but little, and plenty should be used (especially 
with large drills which may cover a portion too deep) 
to secure a continuous row. If the drill tooth is set 
to point back as far as the angle will let It, the neck- 
yoke straps lengthened so as to drop the end of the 
tongue lower, and the tooth chains are drawn up a 
few links and tied, there need be no trouble to sow at 
any depth desired. Planet Jr. steels an inch wide can 
be purchased for eight cents each, and their beet-hoe 
teeth for 25 cents. Either of these can be attached to 
any cultivator, and are all the tools needed. Two or 
three cultivations following the thinning at intervals 
of a week, should be sufficient, and work done on 
them after that time usually nothing to the yield 
unless Summer weeds or a crugt comes on. 
ECONOMY IN HARVESTING.—With the team 
walking, one horse each side of the row, run the land 
side of the plow close to or a little under the beets, 
and a boy following can lay the beets over out of the 
way nearly as fast as the team will walk. By using a 
subsoil plow a number of rows can be loosened ahead 
before any are laid over. The beets should be laid 
with the tops all one way, and several rows laid to¬ 
gether. A low table or bench is placed by the side of 
the windrow, on which two men can work facing 
each other. A sharp hatchet is used for trimming, 
and one stroke is sufficient. Where the beets are laid 
in regular order there is no turning or pulling them 
out of a heap, and one gains much time. Where the 
beets are loosened ahead the boys place the beets di¬ 
rectly on the table. The beets are thrown in piles, 
covered with tops and drawn directly from the field 
to the car. The tops should be piled immediately in 
small piles and drawn as wanted for feeding. They 
will heat and spoil in large piles, or in the barn. 
C. E. CHAPMAN. 
OHIO GRASS AND GRAIN. 
Fall-sown wheat and rye in this part of Ohio 
stood the Winter very well, and are now looking 
fine. Fields sown after September 20 are now green 
with the growing grain, 
and give promise of an 
abundant harvest; clover 
sown last Spring made a 
good growth, went into the 
Winter in good shape, and 
in going over my fields I 
notice very little of it 
raised out of the ground by 
freezing. Where the land 
was well tile-drained there 
is none heaved up at all. 
While we had no great 
amount of snow, there was 
enough to protect the 
growing wheat, rye and 
grass. I run my farm on 
the four-year rotation of 
crops, viz., clover, corn, 
oats and wheat; sow clover 
seed on the wheat, and 
have had the best success, 
or rather have had best re¬ 
sults, sowing seed the lat¬ 
ter part of January and 
first of February, should 
there be no snow. I would 
not like to sow on snow; the melting of it causes the 
seed to bunch. It fioats together too much. If I can¬ 
not sow In January or February I wait until the last 
of March or first of April, in order to avoid the freez¬ 
ing weather that we often have at that time. That 
catches the seed when germinating, and not suffi¬ 
ciently rooted to stand the exposure. I am guided by 
the conditions I have to meet. I prefer the early 
seeding; use the Cahoon broadcast seeder, and sow 
from five to six quarts of seed per acre. I usually 
mix about eight quarts of Timothy seed with each 
bushel of the clover seed; thus both are sown at the 
same time. If we want a permanent pasture we sow 
more Timothy; in time the clover gives way to the 
Timothy, and the Timothy is crowded out by the Blue 
grass. With us here it is useless to sow the Ken¬ 
tucky Blue grass, from the fact that the native Blue 
grass supersedes it. The native Blue grass is indi¬ 
genous to our soil, and will cover a field in three or 
five years, if left to itself and not disturbed by cul¬ 
tivation. R. c. P. 
Camden, O. 
My plums are mostly Lombards, and they rot badly, but 
bear regularly. The blue plums are preferred in the 
market. I think the Abundance Is the best of the Japans; 
(he Satsiima does no good for me yet p. 5. 
A GREEN CORN SANDWICH FOR MASSACHUSETTS COWS. Fig. 123. 
