Fertilizer Experiments With Sugar Beets 
BY A. H. DANIELSON * 
These experiments extended over three years, 1903, ’04 and ’05, 
and were to test the effect of fertilizers on the yield and quality of 
sugar beets and determine the effect from the different fertilizers used, 
under field conditions, and incidentally a number of other questions. 
The tests of 1903-04 were on plats of one-tenth of an acre on 
the College farm, the plats used in the two years not'being the same. 
The test of 1*903 was of the nature of a preliminary test. A coopera¬ 
tive test with the Department of Agriculture formed one of the series 
of tests by the Buieau of Chemistry on the ^Influence of'Environ¬ 
ment. upon the Composition of the Sugar Beet.” In 1905 corres¬ 
ponding tests were made with plats of six-tenths of an acre each in 
a field being raised under field conditions. 
With the change in conditions brought by the cultivation of sugar 
beets the necessity which is being felt for artificial fertilizers, the ex¬ 
haustion of the supply of sheep manure which has been the common 
source for a number of years, and the consequent realization of the 
future, if not the present, importance of fertilization, led to the tests 
here given. 
Further and additional tests are desirable but it is believed the 
results are of value as they are. 
Fertilizer Experiments in 1903.— The experiments conducted this 
season were in the nature of a preliminary test. The most complete 
series of plats was carried out on Field F, although there it is defective 
for an ‘ideal series in that potash was left out except in the complete 
fertilizer as the experiment was planned too late to secure potash 
fertilizers. 
The main object of this trial on Field F was to determine the 
effect of an excessive quantity of stable manure on beets, that of a 
fairly large application, and a small quantity with nitrate of soda, as 
compared with nitrate and phosphates alone and complete fertilizers. 
The result of the application of these materials in 1903 on this field 
is of more than ordinary interest because the after or residual effects 
of those applied in 1903 were tested for the two succeeding years. 
This data is given later. 
* Assist ant Agriculturist 1900-Jan. 1, 1903. 
