FERTILIZER EXPERIMENTS WITH SUGAR BEETS. 23 
With a fertilizer drill distributor with one man and a team, half that 
number of acres could probably be covered. When drilled with the 
seed the only duty would be to keep the hoppers or cans full and pre¬ 
vent ‘bridging.' 1 
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 
(1) Our Colorado soils generally contain ample supplies of pot¬ 
ash and phosphoric acid, and an excess of lime. 
(2) The native soil is generally somewhat deficient in nitroo-en 
ait humus, both are supplied by growing leguminous plants like al- 
talia, peas, vetches, or beans, or from sheep and stable manures. 
JNitiogen, but not humus, can be supplied by commercial fertilizers. 
(3) Nitrogen in the form of nitrate of soda is the only element 
which has had any decided effect in increasing the yield of suvar 
beets over the cost of application. J gar 
(4) Potash and phosphoric acid, from sulphate of potash 
raw bone meal, Basic slag, dissolved or acid bone, and phosfate rock' 
used alone or together, have very little or no effect upon the yield. 
(5) There are strong indications that potash and phosphoric 
acid from fertilizers, largely, if not entirely, neutralize the effect of 
nitrate of soda upon the yield of sugar beets, although the quality of 
the beet is good. # 1 J 
(6) No difference in results were obtained between applying the 
nitrate of soda at the time of planting, or in part at the time of 
planting, and m two applications during the growing season. 
(7) The net profit from reasonable quantities of manure if 
cost of manure and Hs application is considerable, is mainly obtained 
in the after effects m the succeeding year, while there appears to be 
no residual effect the third year after application. 
(8) An excess of nitrogen from manures or fertilizers over 
what the p ant needs lowers the yield and the quality of the sugar 
beet some though not much. ~ 
(9) Reasonable quantities of manure were fully as effective as 
large or excessive quantities. 
(10) Refuse lime cake from the sugar factories as a fertilizer on 
sugar beets was of no benefit. 
11() Soluble fertilizers applied to the seed favored strong o- er _ 
mination. & 
• ! ! Very hlgh su S ar content and puritv seem to go with low 
yields, although there are exceptions. . 
(13) bertilizers will not take the place of good preparation or 
cultivation of the soil, or good care of the crop. The soil must be in 
good physical condition to make the best use of fertilizers applied 
., (, 14 ) The tops were about forty-four per cent of the weight of 
the clean beets. A fifteen ton crop of sugar beets will produce 6.6 
tons fresh, green tops. It is estimated that this will air-dry to one- 
eighth the original weight or 0.8 of a ton. 
