Ca> Get '5' s^nrzwo Cornell University Library SB 221.G75 The sugar beet.Suggestlons as to its cul 3 1924 000 328 017 S»tatc College of Agriculture It Cornell ®ntbers;ttp Eibrarp 8061 '12 m m •sojg pioiivQ J9puia »8|lJCllUBd ■t I -^' THE SUGAR B£)E)T. SOGGESTIOfiS flS TO ITS CUliTlVflTIOH, Etc., Etc. By C. a. granger, Agricultural Superintendent, Utah Sugar Co., Leiii, Utah. PRINTED BY George Q. Cannon' & Sons Oo., SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. 1803. Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924000328017 THE SUGAR BEET. SUGGESTIONS AS TO ITS GULTIYflTION, ETC. BY C. A. GRANGER, Agricultural Superintendent Utah Sugar Co., Lehi, Utah. fSpfHIS pamphlet, gotten up in response to numerous inquiries f^ which are daily being received from all portions of the country, and which call for information as to the sugar beet and its mode of culture, is submitted with some misgivings and diffidence ; for it must be borne in mind that the industry in this country is yet in its infancy; that to obtain the best results, it requires special methods and special implements ; and we must be educated in the best methods, and invent new imple- ments, before arriving at that degree of excellence which is characteristic of all American enterprises. The European ideas of culture, althoiigh gained by years of study, are valuable to us only as a general reference. We cannot follow them in detail, for our conditions are by no means the same. We will surely advance in all branches of this industry to such an extent, and with such rapidity, that what today may appear to us to be near the line of perfection, will, in a compara- tively few years, be looked upon as crude and cumbersome. This record, therefore, is of value only for the time being, and while general in its adaptability, will apply more directly to such localities as have climatic conditions somewhat similar to those of Utah. TO THE FARMER. To the farmer we would say, you cannot blindly follow any fixed rules for the cultivation of the sugar beet. Like every- thing else it requires experience and intelligence to become pro- ficient and to obtain the best results from the crop. Owing to differences in soil, climate, seasons and conditions, 2 you may one season be compelled to alter, or possibly rxm con- trary to the previous usages. There are certain conditions of soil and moisture peculiar to every farm, that are best under- stood by the person owning or cultivating it ; so each farmer must use his own best judgment in the manipulation of both soil and crop. THE SOIL AND ITS PREPARATION. While the sugar beet is a much hardier plant than is generally supposed, and will thrive well on as many kinds of soil as will potatoes, com or grain, we find the best results are to be obtained from a light, deep, loamy soil (not too sandy), that has good drainage, is loose and pliable, and will not bake or become hard during the growing season. Strong alkali or mineral land, or that on which a heavy coating of manure has just been applied, should not be used ; for in either case the seed will come scattering, and when harvest-time comes the beets will be rank, coarse, and grown largely above ground. The nature of the beet is to grow deep like a parsnip or carrot, and with good soil and proper cultivation should grow, with thfe exception of a small crown, entirely under ground. Understanding that the root seeks to go downward, and will, where the soil and conditions are favorable penetrate the lower strata to a depth of several feet, we can readily perceive the advantages to be derived from deep plowing and thorough cultivation. Plow the land deep, from ten to fifteen inches, unless the top layer of soil is so thin that heavy clay will be turned up, in which case turn the good soil over with the ordinary plow, and follow directly behind with a sub-soil plow, to loosen the objectionable ground to the desired depth without bringing it to the surface. The importance of deep plowing seems to be very little understood by most of our farmers, and heretofore has been but little practiced. Where land has never been worked more than a few inches deep, the advantages of plowing it the entire depth of from ten to fifteen inches at once, or little by little, is yet open to discussion. Last year very satisfactory results were obtained on virgin, or sage-brush, land which had been broken up for the first time, directly previous] to putting in the seed. While it was noticeable that tHe seed did not come up quite as regular on this new land as on the old, the beets produced were of excellent shape and good in quality. The best results are looked for on this land the coming season. Fall plowing is considered here to be by all means the best ; for after lying rough all winter, and being subject to the in- fluences of frost, snow and atmosphere, the soil is in the very best cbndition in the spring to be worked down smooth and fine. If this is done early, the weeds are allowed to start before it is time to put in the crop, and then by working the surface thoroughly with cultivators or harrows just before planting, the weeds are all killed, and the ground left in excellent condi- tion to receive theseed. Where fall plowing is not practiced, a deep plowing should be given as early in the spring as the ground will permit ; and later, just previous to planting, a second one of from four to six inches deep. The high altitude and dry winds of this inter-mountain region are so conducive to rapid evaporation, that the surface of the soil dries out very quickly. It is desirable, therefore, that it be worked down fine and firm, but not packed, so as to hold moisture, and allow the seed to germinate without having to put it in too deep. Very light sandy loam, or "bench" lands should always be rolled previous to planting. PLANTING. The time of planting varies according to location, season, conditions, etc. ; but extends all the way from the early part of March to latter part of May. Ordinary light spring frosts will not kill the young plants, so it is advisable to plant the warm "bench" or higher lands quite early, and get the benefit of all spring rains. SEED. The amount of seed to be used varies. Enough must be used to insure a full uniform stand of young plants. Where the rows are about 20 inches apart, and the land very rich and fer- tile, not less than 15 lbs. should be put in per acre. On poorer and lighter soil, with rows 22 or 24 inches apart, less may be used, but we would not recommend less than 12 lbs. under any conditions. It is absolutely necessary that the seed be planted shallow. 4. not over one-half to one and one-half inches deep. When planted deeper, the strength of the germ is expended in forcing its way up through the soil, and the result is a weak lot of plants which never give as good a yield in tons per acre, as those planted shallow. SIZE OF THE BEET. The sugar beet to be profitable to the manufacturer, should grow entirely under ground, and must not exceed in weight from one to two and one-half lbs. At that size it contains the maximum percentage of sugar with the highest degree of purity. Large beets, or those grown mostly above ground, contain but little sugar, and an excess of salts, potash, and other impurities which render them unfit for manufacturing purposes. The farmer must see to it that his beets do not exceed in size that which is acceptable at the factory, and this can easily be governed by proper spacing in the rows. THINNING. One of the most important features in sugar beet culture, is the thinning. It should be most carefully done, as upon it in so great a measure depends the ultimate success of the crop, that the loss occasioned by neglect or carelessness at this period, cannot be overcome by any amount of future attention. The proper time to do this work is while the plants are very young, — just as soon as the third or fourth leaf becomes well defined and the root is nothing but a slender silken thread. The work can then be done much cheaper than at any subsequent period : and the little plants readily recover from the disturbance necessarily occasioned by the removal of the surplus roots. If delayed beyond this time, the thinning so disturbs the ' remaining roots, that they are slow to revive, and are apt to be stunted beyond recovery. Hundreds of tons of beets were lost to the Utah farmers last year just from this cause alone. The proper distance to which they should be thinned out in the rows, depends entirely on the richness of the land. On rich heavy bottom land, it ranges from throe to six inches, and on higher land which is lighter and poorer they should be left from eight to ten inches apart. This work must practically all be done by hand, for the operation is essentially so delicate and needs to be so thoroughly done, that it is doubtful if anything in a meclianical line will ever be invented which can in the least degree perform the work of an active pair of hands with nimble fingers. Where the stand is thick and uniform, cut through the row with the corner of a sharp garden hoe, taking pains to always leave a single plant when possible. The bunches that are left must be thinned out to only one plant in a place ; for where two or more are left in a bunch, the roots entwine about each other, and they never amount to anything in size. The crop is almost secured after the tliinning is once done, and only requires the ordinary cultivation and attention given by every good farmer to his other crops. Keep the weeds down and the ground well worked for the first two or three months, and then the beet leaves will shade the ground so as to choke down most of the weeds that may come up after that. HARVESTING. Theoretically, the beet matures in about five months ; but may ripen in much less time than that. When ripening, the leaves will usually show a change in color from a dark to a light green. This, however, is not a reliable index ; the only true test being a polarizatioa of the root. When harvest time comes, the roots are plowed out by a special plow made for the purpose, which loosens the beets in the ground, but leaves them standing upright so they can be readily pulled by hand and thrown in large piles or wind-rows. With this plow, a man and good team can easily go over three acres a day. The topping is done by cutting off the crown at the base of the last or bottom leaves, with one quick blow of a heavy butcher-knife. The crown must be entirely removed or the beet on being stored for winter use, will soon begin to sprout, and its value for sugar is then destroyed. In hauling to the factory, a great many sack their beets, claiming that the time consumed in sacking is more than made up by that gained in the unloading. Others haul in bulk and unload with scoops or large forks. IRRIGATION. The first sugar beets that were ever grown for manufactur- ing purposes by irrigation, were those raised last season for the 6 Lehi factory in Utali ; and the experiment was watched with interest in all parts of the world. It needs only to be said that the outcome was all that had been hoped for ; and the old theory, that sugar could not be made from irrigated beets, was exploded. The yield of tons per acre and per cent, of saccharine in the beets were both good. When the question of irrigation shall have been reduced to the science that the other branches of beet-culture have, we may look to see the best crops and the best beets in the world raised in the inter-mountain regions. Here the farmer has the water to guarantee his crop, and by its judicious use will learn to produce a beet rich in sugar and of the highest purity. This statement we are well aware is contrary to long estab- lished and accepted theories in this respect, particularly those of European authorities ; but the proof of its correctness has been fully confirmed by the work done in Utah last season. The application of irrigation in the raising of sugar beets, is as yet so much in its experimental stage, that but few definite instructions can be given in regard to its use. One or two points, however, have been conclusively settled. Irrigate your beets when they show the actual need of it, but not before. Do not turn any water on as long as there is a natural supply of moisture in the ground. Too much water is just as bad as not enough ; and many farmers made the mistake last year of watering their beets merely because their watering time came, and the water if not used would have to be wasted. Their labor and water were both worse than wasted, for the beets would have done much better without them. Always irrigate in furrows and avoid flooding. On flooded land the ground becomes hard and compact around the crown of the beet, and prevents it growing to the size it should. After every irrigation, work the ground between the rows with cultivator or hoe, so as to prevent its baking, and also to help retain the moisture for a longer period. Water must be kept off in the fall, and the beets allowed to ripen and store up sugar in the cells. If watered too late in the season, a new or second growth will occur, which destroys the industrial value of the beet. The root of the sugar beet penetrates so deep in the earth that it requires less artificial moisture than any plant we know of. Two good waterings properly applied will insure a crop on almost any land, and where com will grow without irrigation, so also will the sugar beet. TONNAGE. The yield in tons per acre, of course, varies greatly, and is dependent upon the richness of the soil, the care bestowed upon the growing crop, etc. An average yield on good land should be about 15 tons per acre, and from that it runs up to over 30. J. E. Jones, of Lehi, raised between 36 and 37 tons on one measured acre, and that without any irrigation. There were many small patches of from 1 to 5 acres which averaged between 20 and 30 tons per acre ; and off of 5 acres, E. P. Snell of Spanish Fork, harvested some 100 tons. With a few years' experience, and the advantages of irriga- tion, we believe the Utah farmer will eventually realize an average yield of 20 tons per acre. COST OF PRODUCTION. The cost of producing and delivering an acre of beets varies all the way from $20. to $45. The following figures gathered from the actual cost to the farmers of this section are as nearly correct as can be arrived at : Pall plowing, 12 inches deep Pulverizing in the spring Rolling ...... Planting ..... Seed, 12 lbs— 18 cts. Hoeing and thinning first time Hoeing second time Furrowing out for irrigating, twice— 75 cts. Irrigating twice— 50 cts. Cultivating after irrigating, twice— 75 cts. Plowing beets out . . . . . Pulling beets out after plow Topping 1 2 tons— 45 cts. Hauling 12 tons— 60 cts. Total expense .... Yield, 12 tons per acre— $5. Net profit per acre . ' . $3.00 1.00 .30 .iO 2,16 8.50 3.00 1.50 1.00 1.50 1.50 3.00 5.40 7.20 39.46 60.00 20.54 The above is susceptible of some slight changes either way, but is in the aggregate correct. The very low estimate of 12 tons per acre is here used, not as an average yield, but merely to show what kind of a crop can be made to pay. By figuring on a basis of from 20 to 25 tons per acre, — which is no exaggeration — the possibilities of the crop may be easily seen. In growing beets for manufacturing purposes, farmers must fully realize that to be of value, the crop must be cultivated with a view not altogether as to the product in tons, but also as to its sugar producing qualities. In this industry the in- terests of farmer and manufacturer are mutual. The manu- facturer must pay a price for the beets that will make it profit- able for the farmer to raise them ; and the farmer must supply beets of a quality that will produce the sugar necessary to make the factory a success. It has taken years of study and careful experiment to bring the sugar beet up to its present high state of perfection ; it therefore requires intense cultivation and the best of care so as to obtain from it the excellent results desired. ' Anything less than 10 or 12 tons per acre will hardly be profitable, so it is advisable to use only the best land. Land that will not produce a good crop of grain or cereals should never be put into sugar beats. The constituent principles of sugar are principally furnished by the atmosphere, and the sugar is elaborated in a beet from the air and sunlight through the leaves. The salts, potash and fiber are supplied by the soil and by fertilizers. It can readily be seen, therefore, that beets are less exhausting to the soil than is generally supposed. Close culture where possible is always desirable, and has been demon- strated through years of experiment to be the most profitable both to the grower and the manufacturer. At the price being paid by the Utah Sugar Company, for beets — $5. per ton — the beet raisers of Utah have better induce- ments than those of any other place we know of. In conclusion we would say, it depends entirely upon the farmer whether his crop of beets shall be profitable or not. Do not be afraid to put the necessary work on them at the proper time. If they are worth cultivating at all, it will pay to do it well. There is no crop we know of that is more generous for attention and will show a quicker appreciation of care bestowed than this ; nor is there anything surer to rebuke easy going methods and slovenly ways than the sugar beet.