Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1904 — SUGAR BEETS. [ARTICLE]

SUGAR BEETS.

Mata cf latcrtat Pm tie Growers Fiona Experlaae*. Director C. D. Smith of tbe Mictfigan experiment station reports the experiments made, with sugar beets last season. His summary of results contains a number of Items of interest to beet growers. It is found, among other things, that lifting the beets seems to prevent In one instance tbe change of composition of the beets so treated and leads to the probability that thus treating a Held of beets at the conclusion ot a long, hot, dry period and preceding rain will prevent the usual extreme decline In sugar content due to the second growth which takes place when the taproot Is left undisturbed. The farmer has but little control over the per cent of sugar in bis beets. If he grow them on undigested muck or apply nitrate of soda after the Ist of July be may lucrense tbe tonnage at the expense of tbe per cent of sugar; otherwise he can Influence but little if any the quality of the crop. The richness in sugar depends upon tbe season, tbe presence or absence of long periods of continuous sunshine, next upon tbe soil, the sandy loams giving richer beets in one season and tbe clay loams in another, and Anally upon the seed. The ability to produce beets of uniform excellence is not yet sufllclently fixed to warrant the expectation that where a field is sown to beet seed either Imported or grown in America tbe beets will contain 15 per cent of sugar or more. The not infrequent abuse of the soil by growing three crops of beets in succession on the same land is exceeding-

ly injurious, the crops growing on the soil thus abused being less than on adjacent plots where a normal rotation is followed. * It pays to use commercial fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash at the usual prices. Most soils need all three constituents. Taking the experiments of 1903 in connection with those which preceded them, it is safe to conclude that the nitrates are always in demand even on the richest soils. They should of course be applied early. Potash is needed on nearly all Michigan soils. Phosphoric acid increases the yield in every case except on a soil giving nearly fifteen tons to the acre without the addition of commercial fertilizers. As a result of observations for five years it is recommended that the rows be no nearer than twenty inches and that on all ordinary soils not treated with stable manures or commercial fertilizers the distance may well be twenty-four inches or even twentyeight inches. The Thriving Turkey Industry. There never been a more active demand for market turkeys than during the past ten years, and there is no reason why this should not increase very materially in the next few years as a result of the growth of population. The census of 1900 shows that, with a little over 5,000,000 farms in the United States, not much over 6,500,000 turkeys were produced. Among the states Texas is in the lead, having produced almost 650,000 turkeys. Following Texas come Missouri, Illinois, lowa, Ohio and Indiana In the order named. The state of Rhode Island produced less than 5,000 turkeys. It may be remarked, however, that If all the turkeys were of such good quality as those produced in Rhode Island their value would be nearly doubled, and they would return correspondingly greater profits. Peach Diseases and Rainy Weather. Seven years’ study of the prevalence and Injuries of the fruit spot or scab fungus at the Ohio experiment station confirms the popular'opinion that this fungus is influenced in its development by the amount of rainy weather during the late summer and early fall. It is judged that these losses may be largely or entirely prevented by spraying the trees when in foliage. Tor scab prevention, in addition to one spraying before blossoming with some effective fungicide, recent observations indicate the need of two applications of weak'bordeaux mixture upon the trees in foliage, the earlier of these to be made in northern Ohio about June 15 and the second three to four weeks later. A High Tariff. “Yes, Maud has agreed to sell kisses at'the lawn fete.” “I don’t see how she can do it” “Oh, she’s put the price so high that the boys are trying to make up a post in order to buy one”—Cleveland Plain Dealer.