Sugar Beets. 
27 
difference in the weight of the crop when the beets stand six, eight or ten inches 
apart. At twelve inches apart the beets are apt to attain an undesirably large 
size. 
The cultivation of the crop must be varied according to the character of 
the soil. Any instrument, the plow, the cultivator or special beet cultivating 
implement, which will put the soil in good condition without covering or other¬ 
wise injuring the plant, may be used. During the growing season the beets 
should be cultivated as soon after an irrigation as is practicable, 10 prevent en¬ 
crusting of the surface, to level the ground, and to make a mulch of fine earth. 
The number of irrigations necessary to raise a good crop will vary with the 
seasons. Mr. Watrous, in bulletin No. 21, says that in ordinary seasons, with an 
average rainfall of 13.89 inches, one irrigation during the growing season is suffi¬ 
cient to produce the best results. Some experimeots made at Rockyford under 
Prof. Cooke gave the same result. The rainfall of that season was unusually 
heavy. If the water is at the command of the grower, the beets should be irri¬ 
gated often enough to keep them growing continuously from the beginning of 
the season until the time of harvesting. Under this condition it pays to irrigate 
until late in the season. The difference in the halves of six plots, one half 
receiving no water after August 20th and the other receiving two irrigations after 
this date, was one seventh of the crop, in favor of the later irrigation. 
It would be difficult to designate the best variety. The various strains of 
Kleinwanzlebener and Vilmorin probably take precedence. The Lion Brand, 
Mangold and Zehringen have given excellent results. 
The plots grown under the direction of this Station or on the College 
Farm have given large yields. The average for ten counties of the State in 1898 
is given as 19.9 tons. In 1899 the averages for eight series of twelve plots each 
ranged from 15.3 tons to 27.7 tons per acre. The writer’s experience and observa¬ 
tion would lead him to put the average crop for this section of the State at from 
10 to 14 tons, ranging from six to thirty tons per acre. 
The average percentage of sugar in the beet will probably be not far from 
13 per cent., taken for a series of years; the range in the different crops will be 
between 10 and 20 per cent. 
The average coefficient of purity will be between 79 and 81; in very favor¬ 
able years possibly 82, in unfavorable years 77 or 78. 
The date of ripening will vary with time of planting, soil, season and 
treatment of the crop. The earliest harvesting of workable beets of which I have 
record for Larimer county is September 15th; sugar 14.71 per cent., purity 80.4. 
Our experience with transplanting beets is that the beets produced are of 
very ill shape, but may be rich in sugar, and yield well. 
The application of a liberal dressing of well rotted manure will lower the 
percentage of sugar and coefficient of purity a little, but the crop will be in¬ 
creased more than enough to compensate for this. 
Beets should not be permitted to dry out after being dug, as there is a 
loss of sugar. 
Freezing does not destroy the sugar in beets, but freezing and thawing 
injures the beets for sugar making. 
The beet is a vigorous feeder. A crop of 14 tons of beets would remove 
300 pounds of mineral matter, about one half of which, or 150 pounds, is potash, 
and 25 pounds is phosphoric acid. If the tops are taken off the field there will 
be a still larger quantity of these substances removed. The fertility of the soil 
may be maintained by the application of well rotted manure, and by a judicious 
rotation of crops. 
The trimmings of the beets make good fodder for cattle. The fresh tops, 
however, are apt to have a laxative effect. 
