304 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 20, 
GROWING TOMATOES IN DELAWARE. 
J. M. G., Oak Grove, Del. —1. I shall manure 
for tomatoes, using stable manure fresh 
from slahles and put out with spreader. I 
have equal choice of Scarlet clover ground 
and weed land. The clover field is part of 
same field which is not seeded, and I sowed 
at time of seeding 1500 pounds of acid phos¬ 
phate and potash analyzing 12 :6. I have a 
good show for clover. Should I use the clover 
land for the tomaloes or put that in corn 
and put tomatoes on the part which is not 
in clover? How much manure should I use 
in either case and what kind and how much 
fertilizer? I grew a “bumper” crop last 
year on some land of the same character 
exactly, lying right beside this, and I 
measured that by hand and put a little 
potato guano in bill, getting 10 tons per 
acre. 2. I wish to prepare to plant an acre 
or more of sweet potatoes. The land is 
clay loam with not. much humus in it. I 
have an abundance of pine needles and 
woods mold composed of pine needles and 
leaves at my command. Would it be to my 
advantage to utilize this mold, and how 
must I go about it? 
Ans. —I would plant the weed land 
with tomatoes, cut the Scarlet clover 
for hay or seed and then plant with 
corn. Cover the new land with manure 
and plow under, then apply one-half 
ton per acre of 3-6-10 fertilizer broad¬ 
cast. I think if J. M. .G. grew 10 tons 
per acre last year he needs no instruc¬ 
tions from anyone in growing tomatoes. 
His land being a clay loam is not very 
promising for sweets. I should broad¬ 
cast the pine needles and woods mold, 
and plow all under, expecting more 
benefit from their mechanical action in 
loosening the soil than from their action 
as manure. We use one-half ton per 
acre, 3-6-10 fertilizer, for sweet pota¬ 
toes, one-half percentage of am¬ 
monia from nitrate of soda, and balance 
from dried fish or tankage. We never 
use manure for sweets, and with fer¬ 
tilizer named above we have never 
failed to secure a paying crop. 
JOHN J. ROSA. 
Several factors that have different 
values for different people enter into 
questions of this kind, as to what use 
the land is to be put another year; 
what crops are to succeed them, either 
as catch crops or money crops; what 
crops can be utilized on the farm to 
best advantage; consideration of im¬ 
provement of the soil, and what crops 
one wants the maximum result from 
this year. Both tomato and corn crops 
may follow a Crimson clover crop with 
great advantage. Crimson clover seed¬ 
ing often fails in corn; rarely fails in 
tomatoes. If the corn was put upon 
the clover ground it would utilize to 
the fullest extent the fertility the clover 
had brought there. If the .tomatoes 
were placed upon the weed ground, 
manure and fertilizer would give a 
good crop of tomatoes and clover there. 
While there is such a thing as get¬ 
ting ground too rich for tomatoes, it 
is not often seen. For the tomatoes 
then, after the manure, using all that 
could be afforded if on the weed 
ground, drill in a 2-12-6 fertilizer up 
to 2,000 pounds per acre, and use 100 
pounds nitrate of soda per acre close 
to the plants after setting. If there 
is any market either on the farm or 
off it for Crimson clover hay, would 
first cut the clover and cure it for hay; 
afterwards plow the stubble and plant 
corn, even if the planting had to be 
deferred until July 1. For late corn 
planting use such varieties as Early 
Bristol. 
Mix the needles and mold with 
enough manure to make fine well-rotted 
compost, using acid phosphate 600 
pounds, muriate of potash 500 pounds 
per acre in the compost; open furrows 
and spread compost in them by use 
of a narrow cultivator. Cover com¬ 
post with small plow; ridge from both 
sides. Use a little nitrate of soda next 
to plants as soon as set. Use sandiest 
soil for sweets; the best crops have 
not come from heavier soils. In re¬ 
cent years sweets have been grown on 
sandy soil by the use of fertilizer high 
in potash, using a little nitrate of soda 
when plants are set in order to make 
quick growth of vines and roots so that 
potatoes will set all at one time, con¬ 
sequently giving uniform marketable 
potatoes, with few large ones and few 
strings. s. h. derby. 
Delaware. 
SUGAR BEETS IN MICHIGAN. 
I notice statement of sugar beet grow¬ 
ing in New York State, which seems to 
be discouraging indeed; but in this part 
of the land of liberty and equality the 
farmers have been growing sugar beets 
for the past nine years, and, I believe, 
are quite well satisfied with the results. 
In fact, very few farmers in this part 
of the State fail to raise a field of 
sugar beets each year; it is regarded 
as the money crop of this section. As 
I am a farmer and have grown beets 
continuously for nine years for one fac¬ 
tory I inclose a brief statement of re¬ 
sults for the last three years. As you 
will notice, the statement does not con¬ 
tain an. account of the cost of growing 
an acre of beets, as we do most of 
the work with our own help; but only 
that of acreage, sugar per cent, price 
per ton, whole amount received and 
value of each acre: 
Per cent Priee Cash 
Acres sugar per ton Rec'd. 
1006 8 15.7-10 $5.76 4-10 $625.09 
1907 8 14.9-10 5.45 7-10 526.91 
1908 10 19.3-10 7.02 522.75 
Average price per ton for 3 yrs. $6.08. 
Average yield per acre for 3 yrs. $66.72. 
Inclosed also a copy of the contract 
under which we grow beets. You will 
notice that the price depends upon the 
value of the beets. The reason for 
the lesser returns for 1908 was a pro¬ 
tracted drought, there being practically 
no rainfall from June 15 till time to 
gather the crop. It seems to me that if 
the same policy between the company 
and farmers of New York State was 
adopted there would be less trouble. 
Bay City, Mich. j. .m. h. 
I have just read Mr. Fessenden’s tale 
of woe in regard to raising sugar beets 
and treatment by sugar company. It is 
so entirely different from my own ex¬ 
perience that appreciating your universal 
fair-mindedness I am prompted to 
show the other side. For several years 
I raised beets for factories here; three 
years in succession on same land, as 
best authorities assured us could be 
done without injury (but they were 
wrong). First year yielded 13 tons per 
acre at $25 per acre profit; second year, 
II tons per acre, same profit; third 
year, nine tons per acre, same profit. 
As the tonnage decreased, the sugar 
content increased, so that net returns 
did not vary 10 cents per acre. The 
plot was five acres, and I hired my own 
labor at an expense of $35 per acre 
all told. Contract price of beets $4.50 
per ton for 12 per cent beets, and 33 
cents for each per cent higher. They 
tested from 12 to 16 per cent, which was 
lower than many of my neighbors on 
clay land, as my land is sandy and over¬ 
flows in Spring. Later I contracted 
for two acres, and owing to wet 
weather, succeeded in getting in only 
one acre (late), so that crop was very 
small, and did not pay, but the sugar 
company paid in full for beets delivered, 
and made no claim for default in acre¬ 
age. On the whole, the treatment of 
the sugar companies has been fair, 
honest and liberal. Errors occur, as 
in any other business; for instance, the 
tare reported on one carload was 20 
per cent, which I knew was excessive, 
as car preceding and one following 
were much lower, but as the time of 
unloading and weighing back of car were 
so far apart we could only settle by 
compromise, which was done at 12 per 
cent. Here a vehicle tare is first de¬ 
ducted, which includes dirt remaining in 
vehicle; then a sample of about 20 or 
30 pounds is taken, washed, topped if 
neccessary, and tested for sugar con¬ 
tent. If every farmer would top his 
beets as per contract (at the base of 
leaves) there would be vastly less tare. 
Saginaw Co., Mich. c. l. grant. 
I have read your request for figures 
on sugar beet production and returns. 
In reading Mr. Fessenden’s report it 
must be very sore to him; but, on the 
other hand, how degrading is the greed 
of the Lyons Company. Just a few 
lines to show there can be a square 
deal for both parties. I grew three 
acres for the Holland Sugar Company 
last year on the test contract, which 
proved very satisfactory to me, consid¬ 
ering the season. I had to keep home 
two tons for feed, owing to my mangel 
crop being short. This company sent 
me the seed, but never came near me 
to see the crop or bother me in any 
way. I am sending you copy of their 
contracts and also my returns. Yours 
for a square deal. j. n. kirby. 
Van Buren Co., Mich. 
R. N.-Y.—According to these returns 
Mr. Kirby made two shipments on No¬ 
vember 5 and 11. The weight in each 
case was 30,580 pounds. On one the 
tare was three per cent, on the other 
four. One lot tested 16.7 per cent of 
sugar—the other 16.5. These beets 
brought $193.79. from which was taken 
$15.37 for freight and $4.50 for seed. 
Leaving $173.92 for Mr. Kirby. 
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