Deterioration Sugar Beets Due to Nitrates 33 
ity of the beet when harvested, due to the presence of the nitrates 
in the soil, might be largely accountable for the excessive quantity 
of molasses produced. With these facts in my possession I had 
no difficulty in interesting the representatives of the American Beet 
Sugar Company in Colorado. Mr. Winterhalter was already mak¬ 
ing experiments with artificial fertilizers, not with this phase of the 
problem in view but it offered me an opportunity to study it in this 
connection. We extended the line of experimentation to include 
the influence of nitrates when applied in medium quantities through¬ 
out the season upon the working or factory qualities of beets. There 
was placed at my disposal six acres of land, the most desirable in 
quality of all the lands available. It had been in beets in 1909, 
grown by a tenant and not manured; the soil was a sandy loam with 
two or three spots which were somewhat gravely. All of the land 
had received a dressing of ten tons of stockyard manure per acre 
which was plowed under to a depth of ten inches. The piece was 
divided into six plots of one acre each. All of which were planted 
with Original Kleinwanzlebener seed, crop of 1909, on April 1, 
1910. One acre was chosen as a check plot, the other five acres 
each received a dressing of 250 pounds of Chile-saltpetre two days 
before the seed were planted. Beets were irrigated up April 9-11 
and thinned May 23-26. On May 2 four of the fields each received 
a dressing of 250 pounds of nitrate; on June 1 three of the fields; 
June 22 two of the fields, and on July 27 one field received a dressing 
of 250 pounds. This gave us plots of one acre each which received 
the following quantities of nitrate: Field A, 250; B, 500; C, 750; 
D, 1,000; E, 1,250 pounds of nitrate distributed in applications of 
250 pounds each at intervals of approximately four weeks, beginning 
March 28 and ending July 27. These fields were irrigated April 9, 
June 17, July i, July 10, July 30, half of the fields on August 17 and 
the other half August 30. The dates given are those on which the 
irrigations were completed. All plots were thoroughly cultivated. 
In order to combat the leaf-spot, Fields A and B were sprayed with 
standard Bordeaux mixture, July 21, August 1, 13 and 21 and Sep¬ 
tember 7; Field C was sprayed July 22, August 3, 13, 28 and Sep¬ 
tember 8; Field D was sprayed July 22, August 16, 28 and Septem¬ 
ber 8; Field E was sprayed July 23, August 16, 28 and September 
9; Field F, the check, was sprayed July 23, August 16, 28 and Sep¬ 
tember <^. The total rainfall during the season from March 28 till 
September 22 was 9.99 inches. One-half of each field was har¬ 
vested October 6-8, the other half November 9-11. This constitutes 
the cultural data pertaining to these fields. 
Another experiment was to see what effect, if any, the applica¬ 
tion of superphosphate, muriate of potash and sodic chlorid, used 
alone and in conjunction would have on beets growing in ground 
