CULTURAL METHODS FOR SUGAR BEETS 
II 
TABLE No. 7. 
BEETS GROWN WITH OR WITHOUT MANURE. 
YIELD, TONS PER ACRE. 
With 
Manure 
Without 
Manure 
Arkansas Valiev 
19 5 
17.5 
16.8 
14.2 
18.4 
15.3 
Western Slope 
Northern Colorado 
Average. 
17.9 
14.3 
This table shows the value of manure for the beet °rower. 
More farmers in the Aikansas \ alley are using - stable manure or 
fertilizers than either of the other sections of the state. 
16. Time of Pulling Beets. — Time of pulling beets was 
reported from September to November, the great majority harvest¬ 
ing in October. 
ij. The per cent, of Tare. — This was reported from 1 
per cent, to 23 per cent. The majority, however, was less than 
5 per cent. 
• Cause of Tare 75 cent, of the farmers reporting 
believed it was due to the dirt clinging to the beets when harvested. 
The rest attributed it to defective methods of harvesting and char¬ 
acter of crown growth. 
/p. Condition of Ground at Harvest Time. — The great 
majority report the ground very dry and cloddy at pulling time. 
This is largely governed by climatic conditions beyond the beet 
farmer’s control. 
20. Is the Crop a Satisfactory One? — 80 per cent, of 
the reporting farmers declare it to be the most profitable crop which 
they can grow. The following statements are given by farmers hav¬ 
ing at least four years of successful experience in sugar beet culture: 
1. The sugar beet crop is an expensive one to grow and should be 
grown on the very best land on the farm. 
. 2. One should not bring to the surface more than two inches of new 
soil in plowing. Ground which has not been worked holds its plant food 
in a form not easily available to the plant. The young beet plant does 
not obtain proper nourishment from such soil and is checked in the begin¬ 
ning of its growth. When proper conditions prevail, beet ground should 
be plowed at least 10 to 12 inches deep. When beet land is plowed in the 
fall, the soil is weathered, rendering plant food at surface easily available 
to young plants. 
