Maim LttkAGfflC, DEPT,

Nitrate of Soda

For Profit With

Sugar- Beets

Maercker
With Supplements

by
Danielson

Colorado Experiment Station.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY

WILLIAM S. MYERS, Director,

Nitrate of Soda Propaganda.

Late Professor in Chemistry la the State Agricultural College of New Jersey.
JOHN STREET AND 71 NASSAU, NEW YORK.

THE Nitrate Propaganda is not engaged in the
Sale of Nitrate of Soda but will furnish a list of
dealers to all who apply for it*

It should be remembered that the original package of
Nitrate cf Soda contains approximately 200 Ibs* of normally
dry Nitrate of Soda*

Nitrate of Soda is generally sold in the original pack-
ages and should be stored or kept in a dry place* Glass
Works and Manufacturers of Dynamite and Gunpowder
usually have Nitrate on hand*

If you have any difficulty in obtaining Nitrate, either
by reason of prohibitive prices or undue delays or on
account of inability of dealers to supply you promptly, let
me know at once, and the difficulty will be investigated
immediately.

Correspondence concerning excessive freight charges
is invited. Nitrate is sometimes discriminated against by
the Transportation Companies by charging a chemical rate
instead of a fertilizer rate; please secure and forward all the
facts, including Freight Receipts*

When ordering Nitrate, please be sure to request your
Dealer, Manufacturer or Importer to have your invoice
clearly and distinctly marked as " Fertilizer." This is
necessary that this valuable Farm Chemical may be
properly classified in order to avoid the discrimination
practised by the Railroads against Nitrate.

WILLIAM S. MYERS, Director

NITRATE PROPAGANDA
John Street and 71 Nassau, New York

NITRATE OF SODA

FOR PROFIT WITH

SUGAR-BEETS

By Maercker
With Supplements

By Danielson,
of the Colorado Experiment Station

BULLETINS OF U. S. EXPERIMENT
STATIONS

Abstract of Bulletin No. 115

of the Colorado Station

By Danielson.

Edited and Published by

WILLIAM S. MYERS, Director,

M

Nitrate of Soda Propaganda.

Late Professor in Chemistry in the State Agricultural College of New Jersey,
JOHN STREET AND 71 NASSAU, NEW YORK.

Published February, 1907.

Preface.

The following leading Authorities, among others, have been consulted
in the preparation of this work.

1. Dr. Maercker, Government Privy Councillor, German Agricultural

Association.

2. Fertilizer Experiments ; Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station,

Abstract of Bulletin No. 115, by A. H. Danielson.

3. Sugar-Beet Investigations / Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station,

Bulletin No. 179, by J. D. Towar.

4. Effect of Each Class of Fertilizer ; Nebraska Agricultural Experiment

Station, Extract from Bulletin No. 73.

5. Fertilizers for the Sugar-Beet ; from "The American Sugar -Beet

Industry" 1906.

6. Sugar-Beet Investigations; Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station,

Bulletin No. 132.

7. Progress of the Beet Sugar Industry in America; from Report

No. 80, Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of
Agriculture. C. O. Townsend.

8. Experiments with Nitrate of Soda ; by Dr. Paul Wagner.

9. Farmers' Bulletin No. 52, United States Department of Agriculture.

New York, January, 1907.

274380

The Profitable Cultivation of the Sugar-Be' et'arid'
Other Crops by the Use of Nitrate of Soda.

The Functions of Nitrate of Soda
in Sugar-Beet Growing.

Extracts from a Lecture, delivered by Dr. Maercker, Government Privy

Councillor, German Agricultural Association, on the Profitable

Cultivation of the Sugar-Beet and Other Crops

by the use of Nitrate of Soda.

It is always a great pleasure to me

when 1 have the opportunity of going into Introduction,
a new district and thereby extending my own sphere of
knowledge ; for I go outside my own circle, not only
with the object of imparting something, but also of, at
the same time, bringing something away with me; and
frequently, when a lively discussion has taken place upon a
question which I have introduced, I have returned home
with the consciousness that I have brought away from the
meeting more than 1 took to it. Now, in order to be able
to offer you perfectly definite advice, it is necessary to know
accurately your agricultural position, and to be thoroughly
acquainted with your conditions of soil and climate, so as
to be able to form an adequate judgment regarding them.
That is denied to me, because I am a stranger in your
district, and this fact places me in some embarrassment and
renders it possible that objections may be taken to what I
am about to say to you, although I shall do my utmost to
be as guarded as possible. But such objections will not be
unfruitful, for I myself will learn something from them,
and I shall endeavor to improve, what is capable of improve-
ment, in your methods.

It is very opportune that you should , , ,

, , {_ i- r -j Inseparable

have chosen as the subject for considera ^ c

, , . J , . . Connection of

tion at to-day s meeting the cultivation ^ . «

of the sugar-beet, and the use of Nitrate SuUgar.Beet and

or boda, which is inseparably connected Mjtrate

with the cultivation of the sugar-beet ;

because, in fact, circumstances at the present time are such

Nitrate of that, with the exception of cattle breeding and cattle dealing
Soda for — an(j eyen jn tjlat Branch retrogression has of late been
Sugar-Beets , , . -111 •• ' i

- observable — agriculture has become so little remunerative

6 that farmers have almost lost heart, and the cultivation of the
sugar-beet is the only resource that is left to us. We would,
therefore, hope that, by an intelligent adoption of the new
sugar-duty law, those parts of the country in which the culti-
vation of the sugar-beet, although they are suited for it, has
not yet attained due development, will have the possibility

A Field of Young Beets on the Upper Gila in Graham County,

After Thinning, April 22, 1901.
Bulletin No. 51, Arizona Experiment Station — Me Clatchin-Fabbs.

open to them in future of taking it up to the fullest extent.
The prospects of the law passing are, it may be said, not un-
favorable; they have, so far as I can learn in Reichstag circles,
distinctly improved of late, as regards the grants which are
to be made and which will allow of the establishment of new
factories to a wide extent. We, in the province of Saxony,
in no way take up a narrow-minded position ; we know
what advantages the cultivation of the sugar-beet confers on
agriculture generally, and we are far from wishing that you

should not share in those advantages. On the contrary, we Nitrate of

Soda for
Sugar-BeetJ

shall rejoice to see our fellow-agriculturists in the east *•

participate in the blessings of the sugar-beet industry.

Gentlemen, after these introductory remarks, I pass on
to my proper theme, and I shall first of all have to discuss
what is requisite generally for the remunerative cultivation
of the sugar-beet.

The first requisite is a suitable climate. ^..

TT i • ¥ j j i r Climate.

U pon this 1 do not need to enlarge, tor you

are in the midst of sugar-beet growing districts, and your
climate will not essentially differ from that in which the
sugar factories of Culmsee, Kruschwitz, Nakel, Wreschen,
and others, have called into existence a remunerative cultiva-
tion of the beet. There can be no question that your climate
is just as well suited to its remunerative cultivation, and to
the production of beets as rich, if not richer, in sugar.
Your climatic conditions, indeed, are such that you have a
later spring. According to the data with which Major
Hintze has furnished me, it may be taken that spring com-
mences with you about ten days later than with us ; but
you make up for that afterwards by a hotter sun and a
higher summer temperature ; and there can be no doubt
that just this temperature exercises a very favorable influence
upon the contents of the beet in sugar ; so that, here in the
east — although we formerly doubted it — you are able to
produce beets which are not only not poorer in sugar than
in the neighboring districts for which a monopoly of the
cultivation of the crop was once claimed, but beets which
are probably even somewhat richer in sugar, and which, in
any case, possess as high a percentage of sugar as any factory
can require ; so that the question of climate is completely
disposed of.

In the second place, there must be available the kind of
soil suitable for the cultivation of the sugar-beet^ and we shall
therefore have to enter upon the discussion of the question:
What is essentially the best soil for beets ?

Gentlemen, if you put this question ^est
to me, I am in a difficulty as to what reply ^ .,
to make. For our ideas as to the necessary
qualities of a soil for the growth of the sugar-beet
have changed during the last ten years in a remarkable
manner. Formerly we believed that we should never be

Nitrate of able to grow beets, and especially beets rich in sugar, on
Soda for any other kind of soil than light loam rich in humus, such
uga ' as we have in the Magdeburg district, on the northern

8 border of the Harz, and in parts of Brunswick and Hildes-

heim. But when later on land owners felt the need of
giving their acres a rest from beet-growing, they gradually
extended their beet cultivation to the lighter soils ; they
turned from the essentially loam soils first to the sandy
loams, then to the loamy, and lastly to the light sandy soils;
and, in fact, on these last, if they only possess the necessary
moisture and are properly manured, we succeed in growing
as good beets as on loam, so that we may say that the type
of soil suitable for growing beets is by no means a restricted
one, but that any even moderately useful agricultural land
appears to be suited for the cultivation of the crop. At
most we might exclude heavy clay soils, which are certainly
least adapted to the growth of the sugar-beet ; but, if the
necessary means are employed, even they may be rendered
suitable ; the means consisting mainly in the systematic
employment of lime to modify the heavy nature of the clay
soil so as to allow the beet to root deeply, to warm the soil,
and to render it readily workable. If this be done, sugar-
beet cultivation may be -profitably carried on even on the heaviest
clays. This has been proved in the most convincing
manner, and we therefore arrive at the conclusion that there
is, in fact, no kind of soil, with the exception of the driest
sand drifts, on which the sugar-beet may not be successfully
cultivated, if we only understand what are the measures
necessary to make it thrive.

c , c .. If I now pass on to the third requisite for

Sub-Soil. z. / • • •. ; •

sugar-beet cultivation^ it urgently requires

both a warm soil and a warm sub-soil. If we wish to define
what constitutes a cold soil, we understand by a cold soil
one in the sub-soil of which there is stagnant moisture,
water which has no outflow. The water causes coldness,
and cold is the greatest enemy of the sugar-beet, for it both
diminishes the quantity and injures the quality of the crop
in an incalculable degree. It is, in fact, correct to say of
such a soil that it is unsuitable for the cultivation of the
sugar-beet. But it must by no means be assumed that such
a soil is wholly and forever unfit because it is less suitable
than a soil with a warm, well drained sub-soil.

A further requisite, absolutely essential in the case of soils Nitrate of
where there is stagnant moisture in the sub-soil, is, therefore, Soda for
the carrying out of judicious drainage. You must not think, ugar"Beets
gentlemen, that the prize has fallen to us, who are in the 9

center of the beet cultivation, all at once and without exer-
tion ; on the contrary, it has required hard and tedious
work to enable us to reach the position which we have now
attained, and, with us, drainage, wherever necessary — and
it has been necessary in very many places — has long since
been carried out, and with most beneficial results, not only
to beet growing, but also in the case of other field crops.

Now, I am unacquainted with the con- ^ .

ditions in which you are farming here, and I
do not know whether drainage is extensively required ; but I
cannot divest myself of the impression that your soil is in
many places in great need of drainage. Wherever we see
water standing in the hollows of the fields, we may be quite
sure that there is need for drainage, and that, if the necessary
means are at disposal, drainage work should be carried out
without delay. It may probably not always be a question
of systematic drainage of the entire field, but only of those
places where it is absolutely necessary that the water should
be carried off. In all probability you will secure good
results if you thus effect partial drainage ; but I must lay
down, as an indispensable requisite of sugar-beet growing,
that, if there be to any great extent stagnant moisture in the
sub-soil, thorough drainage must be carried out.

A further and, indeed', the most important , . c ..

,. . J r 77 r j r 7 7 • - LimC ID Soil

condition of alt for the successful cultivation D . .
f j 7 • j r /r • a Requisite.

of the sugar-beet is the -presence of a sufficiency

of lime in the soil ; without this, the hope of a good and
profitable yield of sugar-beets would be difficult of fulfill-
ment. But this evil is easily to be remedied ; for, if there
be not sufficient lime present in the soil, it can easily be
furnished by judicious liming; and even in our district, where
the cultivation of the sugar-beet has been very successfully
carried on, the requisite store of lime was not always at the
outset present in our soils. I am not aware whether your
soils here are poor in lime, and therefore need to be supplied
with it. But, gentlemen, the question is so important a
one, not only for the cultivation of sugar-beets but for the
production of farm crops generally, that it should be solved

Nitrate of without delay. It is, as 1 have said, the most important
Soda for Qf ajj agricultural questions. For beets not only need
Sugar-Beets . .. >.. r - L • • u c

- ample quantities or lime for their nourishment, for the

10 direct satisfying of their lime requirements, but the indirect
effects of the lime are more important still.
c * ll *f A so^ which, when it is saturated with
Q ?. the moisture of winter, forms heavy clods,

and is, therefore, in the spring, only capable
of tillage late and with difficulty, loses at once this tendency
to form clods if the necessary quantities of lime are applied
to it. A soil naturally cold can be rendered warm, at least
on the surface, if sufficient quantities of lime are added to
it. A soil which has an adequate store of lime brings into
activity all the constituents of the manures applied to it,
not only those of dung, but also those of artificial manures,
much more rapidly than soils in which such store of lime is
not present. The plant foods introduced into the soil in
manures are gradually, in the course of absorption by the
soil, in great part converted into an insoluble form, and in
that insoluble form they cannot at once be dissolved by the
water of the rainfall. To render them soluble it is first
necessary that carbonic acid should be developed in the soil,
and that this carbonic acid should be dissolved by the
moisture in the soil. Only then this soil moisture, con-
taining carbonic acid, capable of quickly and readily dis-
solving phosphoric acid, potash and other food stuffs and
of supplying them to the plants, thereby rendering possible
the production of a heavy crop of beets rich in sugar.
P. 'The fifth requisite for growing the sugar-beet

P . . is deep cultivation. Without a soil deeply

loosened and exposed in winter to the
atmosphere, beet cultivation cannot be successfully carried
on. The beet requires a deeper tilth than other plants,
because it can only with great difficulty overcome resistance
in the soil. It goes very deep with its tap-root, and if it
meets with strong resistance in the soil it does not form its
tap-root, on which it is greatly dependent, in a sufficient
manner, and the natural consequence is that the produce is
small. Therefore, deep cultivation is an indispensable
requisite for growing sugar-beet. But for carrying out this
deep cultivation many things are necessary. We must have
the requisite team power, the necessary ploughing apparatus

and the like; then, gentlemen, deep cultivation is not to Nitrate of

be accomplished with the sub-soil plough alone: many other Soda for

i c i • u j i i i_ j Sugar-Beets

implements are necessary for working the deeply ploughed -

Root System of Sugar- Beet, showing necessity of deep preparation

of Soil.
Bulletin No. 13, California'Experiment Station.

soil ; the heavy roller, the grubber, etc., are requisite.
Without them sugar-beets cannot be grown, and there can
be no question that if you wish to carry on the cultivation

Nitrate of 'm an intensive manner a certain outlay is ncessary, which,
Su ar°Beets ^owever' ls rendered remunerative not only by the beet
_ crop itself but also by the yields of other crops in the rota-
12 tion. And it has to be borne in mind with regard to deep
cultivation of the soil that by it we obtain not only heavier
but also more certain crops. It is much easier to secure
equality of yields, one year with another, in a deeply culti-
vated soil than in one the cultivation of which is shallow.
In favorable circumstances you may obtain in a superficially
loosened soil heavy yields of wheat, potatoes and other farm
crops ; but if unfavorable circumstances, of whatever nature,
occur, the less deeply loosened soil fails, whether in a season
that is too wet or in one that is too dry, whilst the deeply
cultivated soil allows the injurious effects of excessive rain-
fall or the still more disastrous effects of drought to come
far less into evidence. If therefore you go in for deep
cultivation, for which ordinary agricultural appliances do
not afford the means, you will find that under its influence
your other crops also will give more favorable results.
More Liberal There are several other matters in this
T j n connection to which I shall revert in the course

Fertilizers of my lecture ; for example ', the more liberal

use of artificial manures^ the selection of
suitable varieties of the plants to be cultivated, etc.; but
these are all secondary matters ; the main thing is, and will
be, deep cultivation ; and this, as I have said, will be
remunerative in the case of all other crops, as well as in the
growth of the sugar-beet.
Us of D '11 ^ father, and^ indeed^ a fundamental con-

, TT ' dition for beet cultivation is that of con-

and Hoe. . J . . . . . r . . ... / .

necting with it the use of the drill and the use

of the hoe — and^indeed^ the most active use of the hoe. Gentle-
men, if we have achieved something in the districts where
beets have long been grown, we have done so not only by
the use of the drill, but far more still by the use of the hoe,
to which the cultivation of the beet, in the first instance for
itself, but no less also for the other crops, gave occasion.
If at the present season of the year you pass through our
fields where sugar-beet cultivation is carried on, you see the
long rows of laborers, who arrived towards the end of
March, engaged in hoeing the wheat; and if it is still practi-
cable, and the growth of the rye is not yet too far advanced,

it also is being hoed. If the necessary labor be available, Nitrate of
then the barley, the peas, the oats, etc., should also be hoed, So'
and those crops also, like the sugar-beet, will thrive under !
the use of the hoe, although hoe cultivation is not so indis- l3

pensably requisite for them as for the latter. To attempt
to carry on sugar-beet cultivation without the use of the hoe
—whether the machine or the hand implement — is a perfect
chimera. Without a thorough use of the hoe no heavy
yields, and, still less, beets rich in sugar, can be obtained.
The use of the hoe is a fundamental D. , TT «

... . r J,i r ) J j. • , • r Right USC Ot

condition for the successful cultivation of « TT
the sugar-beet, because it is not only neces-
sary for the extirpation of weeds — which is, of course,
also a very important result of a thorough use of the
hoe — but it is, above all, requisite for the complete and
repeated breaking up of the hard crust which forms to
an exceptional extent in the intensive cultivation of the
beet, in consequence of the application of dressings of
salts, such as Nitrate of Soda and potash salts^ in order
that air and warmth, the indispensable and vivifying
elements of the soil, may be able to penetrate into it.

The extirpation of weeds is, be it re- T c

, , i i r L Importance of

marked by the way, also or the greatest ^ ..

importance in the growth of the sugar-beet,
and moreover all the labor at the disposal of the sugar-beet
farmer will likewise be profitably employed in the destruction
of weeds in the wheat fields. It is extremely difficult for a
farmer who can grow no very great breadth of crops requir-
ing the use of the hoe to thoroughly keep down weeds. I
do not know how it is with you here, whether weeds are
common in your fields, whether wild mustard and other fine
plants thrive here (laughter), but I expect from your
climatic conditions that you are not very differently situated
from what we were when as yet we did not carry on the
intensive cultivation of the sugar-beet. To be frank, we
must admit that we are not better than our neighbors, and
that we have not by reason of our greater foresight brought
our land into better condition than that of others elsewhere ;
the fact is, rather, that the means of doing so have been
afforded us by the cultivation of the sugar-beet ; and if you
secure the same means by growing sugar-beet, you also,
will, in a short time, enjoy the same freedom from weeds

Nitrate of on your land that we in the province of Saxony have now

Soda for for ^ most part obtained, but which is at once lost again

8 where intensive beet cultivation ceases to be carried on. In

J4 our district the common weeds are quite as widely distributed

as in any other in Germany.

I now pass from this fundamental requisite of the
cultivation of the sugar-beet, the active use of the hoe, to
the next, and that is the application of the food-stuffs
necessary for the sugar-beet.

Phosphoric '^e Phosphoric acid requirements of the

^ci(j beets are not greater quantitively than those of

other farm crops; a heavy crop of it removes
from the soil about 29 pounds ', and an average crop from 19 to
22 pounds of phosphoric acid to the acre. That is neither
more nor less than a crop of rye, barley, oats or potatoes
takes up, and the sugar-beet, from this point of view,
really requires no heavier fertilizing with phosphoric acid
than we are accustomed to give to our other farm crops.
But, in the case of the sugar-beet, there is the circumstance
that in its first young growth it undoubtedly requires a
considerably larger provision of phosphoric acid than other
farm crops. We can very easily convince ourselves of this
if we heavily dress one-half of a field of beets or even a
strip of one, with phosphoric acid and leave the other
portion undressed. It will soon make itself evident that
the early vegetation of the beets on the portion heavily
fertilized with phosphoric acid progresses much more rapidly
than on the part not dressed with phosphoric acid. From
the outset, the beets grow far more quickly, they can be
earlier singled, they shade the soil sooner and more com-
pletely, and every experienced grower of the sugar-beet
knows that this is of the greatest importance. The earlier
I am able to single the beets, the better and safer prospect
I have for my crop. Every experienced grower of the
sugar-beet knows that, with the exception of fields affected
by threadworms and beet sickness, it is in its first youth
almost exclusively that the sugar-beet has to fight against
its enemies, and that the more rapidly it thrives the quicker
it grows out of the reach of those enemies.

Therefore, gentlemen, we must employ an ample and
not too restricted quantity of phosphoric acid for the pro-
motion of this first period of growth. And for the hasten-

ing and advancement of this early -period of growth we require. Nitrate of
not the form of phosphoric acid with difficulty soluble, such as Soda f
we have it in basic slag or in the precipitated phosphates or
even in bone meal, but exclusively the form which is soluble in
water. Nineteen pounds of phosphoric acid soluble in
water are indispensably necessary to enable the beets to
thrive, and in particular to secure a healthy and rapid first
period of growth. Besides this, an additional quantity may
be given in a less readily soluble form. Such a supply of
phosphoric acid is an indispensable necessity, especially
where the spring is cold and the soil at the time when the
beets are singled is still but slightly warmed, as may well
be the case under your climatic conditions.

But, gentlemen, on the other hand, TT ,, nu

L • r L L • -j i_ Use of Phos-

tne quantity or phosphoric acid to be sup- , . A . ,

,. 7 i i • f- • i- i f phone Acid.

plied has also its limits. formerly the

sugar factories demanded quite excessive quantities of
phosphoric acid, with the object of obtaining beets rich in
sugar. They required fifty to ninety pounds and upward
to the acre, and they believed that not only was this neces-
sary in order to obtain heavy crops of beet, but also that
the quantity of phosphoric acid stood in direct relation to
the formation of sugar in the beet. This idea has been set
aside by Hellriegel, who has proved that no connection
exists between the phosphoric acid and the formation of
sugar in the beet. On a soil poor in phosphoric acid you
will indeed grow fewer beets than on one rich in phosphoric
acid, for phosphoric acid is an indispensable food-stuff of
the beet ; but the crop of beet, although smaller in quantity,
is relatively as rich in sugar as that of which the quantity is
greater. Nor have I ever heard that a crop of beets which
turned out to be a small one, and turned out to be a small
one in consequence of a deficiency of phosphoric acid in the
soil, was particularly poor in sugar. On the contrary, if we
obtain a smaller crop, we usually get beets tolerably rich in
sugar ; and in the case of heavy yields there is a greater
risk of a low percentage of sugar than in the case of smaller
crops. Therefore, in the present state of agriculture, it is
no longer thought necessary, as formerly was generally the
case, to squander phosphoric acid in this manner ; it is
proper and customary to give to the beet no more than is
required to render its first growth rapid and healthy, and

Nitrate of tnan is required for its later development and the perfecting
Su a°lteets °^ *ts structure> 4uite without reference to the formation of

sugar, which, as we have said, is accomplished without the

16 co-operation of phosphoric acid. For this, the nineteen
pounds of phosphoric acid soluble in water, which we give
to push on the crop, suffice, and if there is present in
addition a store of some nineteen to twenty-two pounds, in
a form not readily soluble, that is ample.

In numerous experiments in fertilizing which we have
carried out in Saxony and the Altmark, on soils poor in
phosphoric acid, these quantities have always sufficed, and
I do not doubt that they will also suffice under the condi-
tions in which you are farming, regard being had, of course,
to difference of climatic conditions. In colder situations,
gentlemen, we are compelled to use phosphoric acid more,
largely because there it is necessary to hasten the develop-
ment of the beet more than in warmer situations; and I will
therefore not apply the rules which we have just laid down
to your district without reservation ; but, for the reasons
which I have given, I believe that you will have no need
to have recourse to a more lavish use of phosphoric acid.
Lastly, gentlemen, before I turn to the special topic
with which I have to deal — the employment of Nitrate
of Soda and other Nitrogenous manures — / have still to
lay stress on one more point ; the selection of the varieties
of beet suited to particular conditions of cultivation.
Ho S 1 ^n ^s matter, likewise, we do not now
y . . need to be anxious ; for, gentlemen, in no

department of agriculture has greater pro-
gress been made than in that of beet selection. The
intensive and scientific manner in which beet selection has
been carried on, has produced varieties, which are, so to
speak, en tout casy and which thrive just as well in France
and America as in the Magdeburg district, in Austria-
Hungary and South Russia, which bear all climatic condi-
tions to which they may be exposed— the climate of districts
bordering on the sea and the climate of the steppes — and
which, notwithstanding the diversity of those climatic con-
ditions, yield an equally high percentage of sugar. It was
the Frenchman, Vilmorin, who gave the first direction to
the selection of beets rich in sugar. But Vilmorin has long
since been surpassed by the varieties of the brothers Dippe

Nitrate of
Soda for
Sugar-Beets

17

Nitrate of

Soda for

Sugar-Beets

18

19

and many others ; varieties which all stand pretty nearly Nitrate of

equally high. A slight superiority among the several Soda for

1 . / 5 .,, -1-L1 j i Sugar-Beets
varieties may still exist, but it has long ceased to be as

great as it was ten years ago, so that really bad varieties of
beet no longer come into the market and it is not necessary
to be so anxious about the choice. The varieties have
been so much improved by selection and scrutiny, that
almost all are suitable for our climate ; and therefore it is
not necessary that we should exercise any extraordinary
care in this respect.

Finally, I come to yet another question which is very
important in its relation to beet cultivation, but which may
readily be disposed of, and that question is : In carrying on
an intensive cultivation of the sugar-beet, what am I to do
with my farm-yard manure ; am 1 to apply it all to the
beets, or, if not, on which crops should it be used in carry-
ing on an intensive cultivation of sugar-beets ?

Gentlemen, for a long period we had y - p rm
great doubt about the direct application of ar(j jyfanur

farm-yard manure to sugar-beets, but those „. , IT

, J , 5 i i i • Kinds to Use.

doubts have been removed by the experi-
ments first of all made in Wanzleben by Counsellor Schaper,
who may well be called the father of intensive and rational
beet cultivation, and it has been demonstrated that there is
scarcely a crop which shows itself so responsive to the
application of farm-yard manure as the sugar-beet; always,
indeed, subject to certain conditions. The application of
farm-yard manure must not be overdone ; we must not give
fifteen or twenty tons of farm-yard manure, but eight to
twelve tons are a dressing which is quite suitable for the
beet. But here a proper selection must be made among
the different kinds of dung which are at disposal, and sheep
dung must be avoided ; not because it would be in any way
a poison to the beets, but because in sheep dung, which
is collected in deep stalls, far more immediately assimilable
combinations of Nitrogen are contained than in yard dung,
the available combinations of Nitrogen of which are in great
part lost in consequence of unfavorable circumstances.
This, indeed, is one of the most important questions of the
day in connection with agricultural economy. Sheep dung
is so intensive in its action because all the important con-
stituents, and in particular the urine, are present in it, whilst

Nitrate of the yard dung is less intensive in its effects because it has
Soda for jost a great part of the active constituents, circumstances,
Sugar-Beets u • i r T i_- L

- which, or course, 1 cannot discuss here, but which represent

ao the most important technical questions in connection with
agriculture which is before us at the present day. Now,
sheep dung is less suitable for beets, because it contains too
many readily assimilable combinations of Nitrogen, and the
only possibility of with certainty rendering beets poor in
sugar lies in applying to them a manure which contains
combinations too rich in Nitrogen. And this would happen
if sheep dung were used.
Good Effects ^ut as reSar<^s farm-yard manure in general.

of Application. In the ^rst Plac« the effect. of *c aPPlicua-
tion or farm-yard manure is to loosen the

soil ; the formation of carbonic acid, in connection with the
formation of humus, brings about many useful changes ;
and lastly, in a dry year, the beets root much more easily
in a field dressed with farm-yard manure. Therefore, both
in its chemical and its mechanical effects, the application of
farm-yard manure is of extreme advantage to the sugar-beet,
always subject to the reservation already mentioned, and
also to the further condition, which also tends to the interest
of the grower himself, that the farm-yard manure has been
deeply ploughed under in the previous autumn. To dress
sugar-beets with farm-yard manure in the spring, may, in
certain circumstances, be to poison them ; for the period of
drought which usually, at least with us, sets in soon after
the tillage, and which frequently fills the heart of the farmer
with anxious fears for the result of the harvest, causes the
beets to surfer much during their early growth from defi-
ciency of moisture. This danger would be greatly increased
if the soil had been rendered too loose by farm-yard manure
being ploughed under in the spring, nor would the peril to
the development of the beets be obviated in a sufficient
manner even by the use of the heavy roller.

// isy therefore, wholly to the interest of the farmer to
plough under the farm-yard manure in the autumn. But,
gentlemen, you who wish to grow beets, bear well in mind
the fact that in colder situations the application of farm-yard
manure is of still greater advantage than in warmer climatic
conditions, and co-operate accordingly with the sugar
factories,which freely allow you to employ farm-yard manure

within the limits laid down by me. How does the case Nitrate of
stand in that respect here P (A voice : "It is freely allowed.") Soda for
Well, gentlemen, then make free use of it.

So much as regards the use of farm-yard xr. 2I

& , ]• • r Nitrate the

manure; we now come to the application of ,,, c . , .

, • 7 j AT- i- / t Most Suitable

the most suitable Nitrogenous fertilizer for f th A m

the cultivation of the sugar-beet^ that is to

-\T- r rt i mates ror

,*y, Nitrate of Sub. Sugar-Beets.

Gentlemen, it is, generally speaking,

impossible to grow sugar-beets with profit without supply-
ing them in a judicious manner with easily assimilable

Nitrogenous food, and that, best of all, in 0 XT ,

i_ r r XT- c o j r\c n Beets Need

the form or Nitrate or Soda. Or all our A . .

Ammomates

crops the beet is the one whose require- AJI ~,

XT. , n . . More Than

ments m Nitrogen are the greatest; .t is ph hates

capable or taking up Nitrogen m far greater P t h

quantities than are usually supplied to it,
and there are in this respect scarcely any limits to the
increase of the yield — but with a certain reservation. For
just as we have already learned that phosphoric acid hastens
the growth of the young beets, so the reverse may in certain
circumstances be brought about by an injudicious use of
Nitrate of Soda; and therefore, Nitrate of Soda, valuable
as it is in beet cultivation, must be used with judgment.

It should be the object of the beet pQr gugar
grower to secure a ripe beet at the time of R M " ,

11 iii • 1* • JJCClo iYlUol UC

the harvest. But, by an excessive application D-
of Nitrate of Soda the ripening is delayed,
and an unripe beet is a beet poor in sugar; so that it is not
to be doubted that an excessive use of Nitrate of Soda may
go hand in hand with a diminution of the percentage of
sugar, and therefore with a reduction of the value of the
beets to the manufacturer. Gentlemen, I admit this per-
fectly, and nevertheless I entertain the firm conviction that
in present circumstances, sugar-beet growing cannot be carried
on without an intensive use of Nitrate of Soda. But in
applying Nitrate of Soda the farmer must understand how
to proceed in such a manner that the percentage of sugar
in the beets does not thereby suffer loss ; for the manufac-
turer is justly entitled to require the agriculturist to deliver
to him at the factory a beet as rich in sugar as is capable of
being produced under the ordinary conditions of the district.

Nitrate of But, with the same justice, the farmer, on his part, may

Soda for ciaim ^^ no restrictions be imposed upon him on the part

_____!_ of the factory which would prevent him from obtaining the

aa heaviest possible yield of beets on a given area. But both

are to be reconciled, as I now propose to point out to you,

by a proper use of Nitrate of Soda.

Ammoniates The vari°MS form\ °f Nitrogen, as sul-
All Converted fa*e °f ammonia, dried blood and
into Nitrates tankage, are in the long run converted
into Nitrates in the soil. There are
present in the soil ferments , bacilli (which indeed carry
on their work in every division of life] , which, in the
end, convert substances containing organic Nitrogen and
ammonia into Nitrates. But, gentlemen, in the conver-
sion of these substances into Nitrate, a certain loss
takes place. In the conversion of ammonia into Nitrate,
gaseous Nitrogen is developed, and this gaseous Nitrogen
is altogether valueless, for the atmosphere already con-
tains 79 to 80 per cent of it. But the Nitrogen- consuming
La Loss s P^nts — beets, potatoes, wheat — are un-

c A able to take up this atmospheric Nitrogen;
of Ammonia 7 • / •</->/

when Ordinary and an ammomacal manure, even if the

». . . ammonia is in the course of time con-

Ammoniates * j • *~ \T** j. // JT j.

. U . verted into Nitrate^ can only nave effect

in proportion as Nitrate is produced
from the ammoniacal Nitrogen. We know that 100
parts of ammoniacal Nitrogen yield only about 85 parts
of Nitrate Nitrogen, so that the effect of the same
quantity of ammoniacal Nitrogen to Nitrogen in the
form of Nitrate of Soda is in the proportion of 85 to 100.
In the case of dried blood and tankage the compari-
son is still more unfavorable. Substances containing
organic Nitrogen which are intended for plant-food must
decay in the soil and first become ammonia, which has
subsequently to be converted into Nitrate. In this process
of decomposition and of conversion into ammonia, losses
of Nitrogen take place, and to these losses have to be added
those incidental to the conversion of the ammonia into
Nitrate, and we have thus two sources of loss, in addition
to which it has to be taken into account that, in the case of
manures containing organic Nitrogen, only 65 per cent of
the effect of the like quantity of Nitrate Nitrogen is apparent

in the end. Therefore we come to the conclusion that the Nitrate of
Nitrogen of Nitrate of Soda is in all respects the most effective, ?oda f°r
and, at corresponding prices, the form of Nitrogen generally to Ugar"
be recommended. 23

If sulfate of ammonia is so cheap that, TT r\ u

c , • • r XT- • How Other

for equal quantities or Nitrogen, it costs A

, c , • r XT- c Ammomates

only 85 per cent or the price or iNitrate or .

Soda, it has then to be considered whether
we cannot give part of the Nitrogen in the form of the
ammoniacal manure. But up to the present the prices of
the manures containing ammoniacal Nitrogen have been too
high for us to be able to think of employing them. Agri-
culturists have indeed made much and frequent use of
ammoniacal manure, but, in my opinion, quite injudiciously.

For, gentlemen, the conversion of ammonia into
Nitrate is not completed in the soil all at once, but is
brought about by the growth and nourishment of small
organisms, and this process requires a certain time; I cannot
say how long it occupies, but some lapse of time always
takes place before the last of the ammonia in the soil is
converted into Nitrate. But as the beet is quite unable to
consume ammonia, and can only live on Nitrate, it is, in my
opinion, an agricultural sin of omission not to place at its disposal
at the outset the quantity of Nitrogen necessary for its first
development in the form of Nitrate of Soda.

For this first development, which, I ^,.

repeat once more, must, in the case of the T ,. . ,

, j .j, i i_ i 1-1 T Indispensable.

sugar-beet proceed rapidly and healthily, I

hold the application of Nitrate of Soda in certain quantities
to be quite indispensable ; so that it may with truth be said
that without Nitrate of Soda the profitable cuitivation of the
sugar-beet cannot at the present time be carried on at all.

A portion of the Nitrogen may, if sulfate of ammonia
be worth its price, — which at present it is not — be given in
that form, but there can be no question of any preference
to be given to the application of the ammoniacal fertilizer;
it may in the most favorable circumstances replace a portion
of the Nitrate of Soda.

It is indeed possible by the cultivation of catch crops
and the maintenance of a greater head of cattle, and like-
wise by the preservation of the Nitrogen of the dung, to
introduce so much heart into the soil that, at the outset,

Nitrate of sufficient Nitrogen is at the disposal of the plants; but from

Soda for what j know of most kinds of soil in Germany, they are

_ thoroughly hungry for Nitrogen, and I believe that hunger

24 for Nitrogen exists also in your soils. Or have any of you

to complain of a superfluity? (Laughter. A voice: "Not

outside the yard of the posting house!") Yes, possibly so,

but that is only a quite exceptional case, which we may

leave out of sight, so the remarks which I have made will

be perfectly applicable to your circumstances and in those

circumstances you cannot think of carrying on the cultivation

of the sugar-beet profitably without an intensive employment of

Nitrate of Soda.

Formula for Sugar- Beets — Per Acre.

300 pounds fine ground bone meal.

100 pounds fine ground bone.

100 pounds sulphate of potash.

300 pounds Nitrate of Soda.

The Nitrate of Soda may be divided into two equal portions before
mixing, and 150 pounds only put in the mixture, and the other 150 pounds
reserved for use as a top-dressing.

For sugar-beets when soil is light, apply 1 60 pounds of Nitrate at the
time of planting, and later, 1 40 pounds at the time of the first hoeing.

With heavy clay soils, 300 pounds may be put on at time of planting,
and this followed later by thorough hoeing.

Sugar- Beets.

Quantity of

Nitrate of Soda

to be applied

to the acre.

50 Ibs.

And sti 11
further
I 50 Ibs.

Or 300 Ibs.
at one time.

Character of soil.

Upon light soils.

In the case of heavy
clay soils, a large
application of
Nitrate may pro-
mote the forma-
tion of a crust,
which must be
prevented by care-
ful hoeing.

The richer the soil
and the more
freely it is ferti-
lized, the closer
the sugar-beets
must be planted.

Time of ferti-
lization.

At the time of
planting.

At the time of
the first hoe-
ing of the
beets.

At the time of
planting.

REMARKS.

The application of Nitrate
of Soda increases the yield
of sugar-beets very largely,
and by proper use produces
sugar-beets very rich in
sugar. In the use of large
quantities of Nitrate one
obtains beets rich in sugar
when choice varieties of
sugar-beets are cultivated,
and when it is applied early
and is quickly appropriated
by the beets, in order that
the ripening process may
not be prolonged.

The delaying of the ripening
process is prevented when
bountiful supplies of avail-
able phosphoric acid are
present in the soil. Every
224 Ibs. of Nitrate of Soda
is able, according to Wagner,
to produce an increased
yield of 1 4,080 Ibs. of sugar-
beets rich in sugar and a
corresponding increase in
tops or leaves.

Nitrate Of

Soda for

Sugar- Beets

26

SUMMARY.

Sugar-Beets for Profit,

Abstract of Dr. Maercker's foregoing Lecture.

A1 t1 r^. The somewhat popular idea that certain

Almost all Kinds c ., c 0 r , ,

of Soils Suitable ^es °f solls ,are necessal7 for Profitable
for Sugar-Beets. Sugar-Beet culture seems to have no foun-
dation in fact. Almost any type or soil is
suitable for sugar-beets, so long as moisture and tillage, and
the necessary plant food are supplied. Even heavy clay soils,
™ ~ .. by systematic liming, may return regularly

r» very satisfactory sugar-beet crops. Sugar-

beets require a warm soil and sub-soil; that
is a soil free of stagnant water both above and below the
surface. In practice this means a soil well drained, if not

t^ j r\ • naturally, then artificially. Drainage alone,

Good Drainage . rr • -c \ _r •

N c ssit 1S not sl™clent> however, if the conditions

are such that the soil is apt to become

cloddy; on these soils lime must be used freely, broadcasted

f T P f . in the early spring. With the soil mellowed

Use of Lime. 7. J , v , .

by lime and proper drainage, we come to

the next essential in the profitable culture of sugar-beets —
deep cultivation. If soils are at all heavy, they should

Deep Cultiva- be fe" , Plowed- and even cross plowed the

. roughly turned soil left to the action of the

j, , winter weather. The crop requires a deeper

™r ,. tilth than other crops, as it seems to have

Indispensable. little Power of s°;l .burr?,wi"g on its °^n
account, especially in soils at all compact

naturally; yet, a well-proportioned tap root seems to be
one of the conditions of a high sugar content. Not only
must the soil be deeply worked in its preparation for plant-
ing, but it must have continuous and thorough cultivation
during the growing season. The earth mulch must be
maintained, and the soil kept free of weeds and surface

crusts ; these crusts are a result of using very high grade Nitrate
plant foods, but intensive cultivation demands their use. s° ar

Showing root system of Sugar-Beets and great extent of feeding.
Bulletin No. 176, California Experiment Station, 1906.

Acid
Phosphate.

The plant-food of sugar-beets is, of course,
the same as for other crops, ammoniates,
phosphoric acid and potash. The phos-
phoric acid must be used in ample quantities in order to
push forward a well nourished early growth, and with this

Nitrate of crOp water-soluble phosphoric acid should be used, the form

Soda for founcj m acjj phosphate. There is no direct connection
- between sugar formation and phosphoric acid plant food,

28 but phosphates unquestionably prepare the way for the
development of sugar by influences to come later in the
growing season. Abundant phosphoric acid in the earlier
stages of growth puts the crop through to an early ripen-
ing, and the earlier sugar-beets are matured the more time
they have for sugar making. Ammoniate plant food best
for the sugar-beet is a matter of some discussion, but the

c roughage ammoniates of the farm, such as

Farm-yard r j j • i

„ farm-yard manure, etc., are used extensively,

and with proper care are effective, except
perhaps in the case of sheep manure, which is too rich in

Row Irrigation of Sugar-Beets.
Bulletin No. 176, California Experiment Station, 1906.

available ammoniates to be used to advantage, as losses are
unavoidable for a fall application. The best practice seems
to be to broadcast the manure and plow down in the fall —
it is never wise to top-dress sugar-beets with manure of
the roughage type in the spring. The best form of plant

r c food ammoniate is the Nitrated ammonia
N.trateofSoda. of Nitrate of ^ Sugar.beets take all

their ammoniate plant food in the form of a Nitrated

ammonia ; while all ammoniates are in time converted Nitrate of

into the Nitrated form in the soil, the action is always Soda for
irregular and is accompanied by a heavy loss of ammonia. ugar
With Nitrate of Soda all these disadvantages disappear. 29
It is estimated that sulphate of ammonia loses fifteen per

cent of its ammonia in this process of ^ .

c , £ Great Losses

transformation, and that packing-house n IT ff

u. & c from Use of

ammoniates lose thirty-five per cent, farm-

yard manures lose from forty to eighty per

¥— s 111* 1 1 1*1

cent, l<or all this great loss, the disadvan-
tage is probably not so much the actual loss of ammonia as
the irregularity with which the plant food ammonia is
supplied the crop. If the Nitrated plant food is not present
when wanted, the crop must wait for it, and nature in
agriculture waits with very bad grace. Perhaps the best
application of Nitrate of Soda on farms carrying the stock
usually necessary to do the work of the farm and supplement
natural losses, and the resulting manure regularly fall-
plowed down, is 300 pounds per acre. It is claimed to be
proved that for an average year, 100 pounds of Nitrate of
Soda will produce an increased crop of sugar-beets of 2,500
to 3,000 pounds per acre. Experiments conducted by
Professor Maercker gave an increased yield of from 4,000
to 4,800 pounds for an application of 150 pounds of Nitrate
of Soda per acre, a second application of the same amount
also resulting in an increased yield of 4,000 to 4,800 pounds
per acre, but a third application of the same amount gave
an increased yield of but 1,600 to 2,000 pounds; hence,
the utility and profitableness of Nitrate of Soda applications
on soils of fairly good condition, commence to be subject
to question only after an acre application of 300 pounds has
been reached.

This Nitrate of Soda is not all applied ~.

c r Time and

at one time ; in fact, from i CO to 200 ,, ., , -

n u u i_ • i-'j Method of

pounds are all that should be applied at A t. .

XT r o j i -11 Application,

one time. Nitrate of Soda spreads rapidly

throughout the soil and this is one of its great advantages
in quickly bringing plant food to the growing plants, but
the same principle may prove a disadvantage in case of a
too lavish use, as more or less of the Nitrate of Soda is
lost through simple seepage. Fall applications are not
advisable for this same reason. The best way to apply 300

Nitrate of pounds per acre is to broadcast 150 pounds when the soil
r is being prepared for seeding in the spring, and the remain-
ing 150 pounds from six to eight weeks later; the second
3° application as a top-dressing, well worked into the soil.
After top-dressing, the surface tillage should be deepened,
and the treatment made more thorough ; where high-grade
plant food materials are used as a top-dressing, there is
always a tendency to form surface crusts, the remedy is
simply a trifle more thorough cultivation and a little deeper.

Work of
Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station.

Abstract of Bulletin No. 115.
Fertilizer Experiments with Sugar- Beets.

By A. H. Danielson.
Colorado Station.

These experiments extended over three years and were
made to test the effect of different artificial fertilizers and
manure on the yield and quality of sugar-beets under
practical field conditions.

The experiments consisted of a series of plots with
fertilizer containing the three essential elements, Nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash, alone and in all possible com-
binations. After preliminary experimenting the source of
the elements chosen as being more easily soluble in the
soil, was for Nitrogen, Nitrate of Soda ; for phosphoric
acid, acid or soluble phosphate rock and bone, and for
potash, high-grade sulphate of potash.

Other fertilizers used were also raw bone meal, ground
oyster shell, basic slag and dried blood.

The size of the plots ranged from one-tenth to six-
tenths of an acre each, the yields were from 10 tons to 25.5
tons, and the profit from the most effective element, from
$6.00 to $15.00 per acre over the cost of application.

Colorado soils are chemically exceptionally rich in
phosphoric acid and potash, with an excess of lime, only
Nitrogen and humus are likely to be somewhat low.

Colorado soils and climate have proven under irrigation Nitrate of
to be capable of producing a very satisfactory yield of high |od* f °r
quality sugar-beets under normal conditions. However, the _
need is being felt for some fertilizer to increase the yield 31
where farm manure is becoming scarce or not available.

The most essential of the results as obtained each year
are briefly given :

1903.

Cow manure alone at the rate of from 1 5 up to 60
tons per acre, and Nitrate of Soda alone at the rate of 150
pounds per acre, had about the same effect, each increasing
the yield about four tons per acre.

The results from the potash and phosphatic fertilizers
were largely negative, and Nitrogenous fertilizers, when
used together with the preceding, were also ineffectual in
increasing the yield.

The quality of the beets was good, but poorest with
the larger quantity of manure ; the average sugar 14.6
per cent, purity 84.4.

1904.

The fertilizer containing Nitrate of Soda gave the
highest yields, except where used in " complete " fertilizer
with potash and phosphoric acid.

Nitrate of Soda at the rate of 175 pounds per acre
seemed to be the best amount to use on this soil, increasing
the profit about $9.00 to $10.00 per acre over the cost of
application.

There appeared to be no difference between the results
from applying the entire amount of Nitrate of Soda, at the
time of seeding, and in several applications throughout the
season.

Potash seemed to increase the yield somewhat this
season, but only just about paid for its application.

Refuse lime cake from the sugar factories was in-
effective.

The quality of all the beets was good, the average
being, sugar, 15.4 per cent, purity, 87.8.

1905.

This season those plots with Nitrogen in the form of
Nitrate of Soda gave the highest yields.

Nitrate of

Soda for

Sugar-Beets

The same tendency is shown as in the previous years, Nitrate of

of the apparent neutralization of the effects of Nitrate when ?oda f°r

• i i 11 i • i • Sugar-Beets

used together with potash and phosphoric acid in " com- _

plete " fertilizer. 33

There was no additional net profits from using over

aoo pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre. This quantity was

able to increase the net profit $6.00 to $7.00 per acre over

the cost of fertilizer.

The shape and size of the beets were excellent,

average sugar 14.9 per cent, purity 86.5.

Residual Effects of Manures and Fertilizers.

The increased yield from cow manure about covered
the cost of the manure and its application the first season.
The second year the larger yield of the manured plots over
those not manured was about the same, therefore clear
profit. The third year the effects of the manure entirely
disappeared.

As good yields were obtained with medium amounts
of manure as from large to excessive quantities.

In the case of the artificial fertilizers there appeared to
be little after-effects, except there appeared to be decided
residual effects from Nitrate of Soda in the year after its
application.

The Beet and the Leaf or Top.

There was found to be no definite relation between
the size of the beet and the percentage of tops, to sugar
contents and purity. That is, on the average, the quality
of the beets does not seem to be influenced much by its
size or amount of tops.

The average weight of fresh, green tops was found to
be 44 per cent of the weight of the beet. Estimating that
the tops will air-dry to one-eighth the original weight, a
15-ton crop of beets will produce eight-tenths (0.8) ton
dry tops per acre. The present current price of beet tops
for pasture is from $2.00 to $3.00 or more per acre.

Maturing of Beets.

From samples taken during several years, from
beginning to end of harvest period, it is shown that there

Nitrate of Js comparatively slight increase in sugar contents and
r purity, or yield, after the last week in September.

34 Practical Suggestions.

The Kind of Fertilizer to Use on Sugar-Beets.

Nitrogenous fertilizers are the only ones which have
proven to have any decided effect in increasing the yield of
beets. Nitrate of Soda, being easily soluble, has proved
most satisfactory.

The Soil.

The most profitable use of this material will probably
be on soils which are not in condition to produce close to
the maximum tonnage of the district.

Topping and Weighing Samples of Beets in Fertilizer Experiment Tests
to Determine Per cent Tops. — Colorado Experiment Station.

The best results would be obtained by using Nitrate
of Soda along with a light coating of manure, to supply the
necessary humus.

The Beet.

No injurious effects have been noticed from the use
of moderate amounts of Nitrate of Soda or manure upon

the quality of the beet. A strong, thrifty green growth is Nitrate of
secured from the time plants are up, the difference being §° ^r.gree
marked throughout the whole season.

Excessive quantities of either Nitrate or manure 35
would tend to lower the sugar content and purity. No bad
effects from the use of Nitrate upon the tilth of the soil
has been noticed.

How Used.

The most rational amounts of Nitrate of Soda which
can be used on Colorado soils is probably from 150 to 300
pounds per acre. The larger quantities can better be used
on poorer soil. After screening it can be applied by broad-
casting with hand or machine and harrowed in before
seeding.

Drills for distribution can also be used, or by attach-
ment to the seed drill applied with the seed at time of
seeding. When so used it favors strong germination of the
seed, as all soluble fertilizers used have been found to do.

The expense of application by broadcasting will be
about 1 5 cents per acre.

(Signed) A. H. DANIELSON.

1907.

The Use of
Nitrate of Soda on Sugar-Beets in Colorado.

In the few years that the sugar-beet industry has been
established in Colorado, we have found that our con-
ditions of soil and climate are such that we can grow better
beets and more of them than any other State in the Union.
For instance, several districts of several thousand acres have
been able to report averages of 15 tons and more, per acre,
with sugar at 16 to 18 per cent. This is more than
remarkable when it is considered that the averages include
many areas that made only one to two tons per acre, this
poor product being the fault of the farmer more than the
land. The industry has also been one of the strong factors
which have caused the greatly increased value of good farm

of lands in Colorado and the cutting up of the land into smaller
Sugar-Bee'ts fracts- And no wonder ! The writer knows of several
- instances where the price of the land at more than $100
per acre has been cleared in one season.

To give these kinds of returns the land must be in
good condition from previous growing of alfalfa on the
land or using good manures. The best yields are obtained
by a combination of both. When the land plays out by
too long growing of sugar-beets we can, of course, bring it
back in shape again by alfalfa in a few years. But the
trouble is that it takes two or three years for alfalfa to
become well established, and when once established it
hardly pays to plow it up right away. It is very de-
sirable, then, that the land be kept in good condition for
the production of paying crops of sugar-beets as long as
possible. This is made more necessary by the fact also
that many farmers have gone into debt for the land and
want to pay out as quickly as possible. And to do this
there is no surer crop than the sugar-beet if the yield can
be kept up. Alfalfa, of course, will make the land as good
as ever again, but it will take several years to do that.
Good manures have also proved to have wonderful effects
in increasing the yield of our soils. But this fact has
also been discovered by others, so that often it is impossible
to get, unless the farmer is in shape to feed cattle or sheep
on his own farm, and this often is not possible. Even
those that are able to secure a quantity of manure, often
can not get enough to cover all the land they would like
to put in beets. Thus the farmer is often "up against it"
and would use commercial fertilizers if he were sure what
kind would do any good.

What Elements a Soil Needs to Grow Crops.

Long ago science found out that only three or four
elements in the soil were used to such an extent by crops
that it would ever be necessary to replace them to keep
the soil from running out. Those elements are Nitrogen,
Potash, Phosphoric Acid and Lime. Sometimes one or
more of these things are naturally absent in the soil, or may
be in such shape that plants cannot easily use it or get
it. When such is the case, crops are increased by adding

the lacking element in fertilizers ; and the best results are Nitrate <
obtained if this element in the fertilizer is in such chemical 0°J^ ^
combination that the plants can easily use it.

Nitrate of
Soda for
Sugar-Beets

37

Colorado Soils.

Chemical analysis has shown that our soils contain
more than enough of most elements to grow good crops.
Lime is present in such large quantities that there would
be some to give away. The only things which^are apt to
be short in our soils are Nitrogen and humus. Humus is
the decayed parts of animals or plants and when there is
enough of it in the soil we say it is mellow, which means,
usually, rich. Both Nitrogen and humus in our dry climate
are used up pretty fast. Both can be replaced by growing
such plants as alfalfa, peas, vetches or beans or by manure.
For it is the large amount of Nitrogen in manures which
makes it chiefly valuable, but without these it takes years
to grow alfalfa and similar crops.

What is Best for Sugar- Beets?

The chemist can tell us, of course, what is in our soils,
and whether there is enough of everything, but he cannot
so easily tell us whether it is in such shape that the plants
can make the best use of it. And, moreover, different plants
use more of one element than another. When it comes to
finding out which are the right elements to use on sugar-
beets for best results, or in what form such elements should
be, about as good way as any is to mix them with the soil
where beets- are to be grown, using the different materials
alone and in all possible mixtures, on different patches ot
land, and do this for several years to make sure.

The writer has been in a position to make numerous
experiments on the effect of the several necessary elements
on sugar-beets from different sources for several years, and
has been asked to give briefly the results and the best way
to use such fertilizers.

In these experiments it was found that neither potash
or phosphoric acid alone or together had any decided effect
upon the sugar-beets in increasing the yield. Not enough
even to pay for themselves. Nitrogen, however, from Nitrate

Nitrate of of soc[a or manures gave a decided profit over the cost of
Su *T Beets aPP^cati°n- It was also found that the potash and phos-
- phoric acid from the commercial fertilizers had a strong
tendency to neutralize the effect of Nitrate of Soda upon
the yield, when all were used together. Nitrate of Soda
was chosen as the source of Nitrogen, because the Nitrogen
in it is the form that it is easily and quickly used by
plants and it is also the most easily soluble of all and most
completely available of all forms, so that it diffuses
throughout the soil within easy reach of the roots of plants.
This quality is especially valuable with a plant like the
sugar-beet, which is rather weak while a young plant. It
is in the early part of the season that energizing of growth,
if needed, is likely to be the most effective, for it is at this
time that the tonnage is made in the case of the sugar-beet.

Where and How to Use Nitrate of Soda.

As it takes from eight to twelve tons of sugar-beets
per acre to pay the expenses of growing them, no land
is likely to be planted to beets which will give less
than ten tons, and twenty tons is a pretty good yield.

As nearly everyone can get a little manure, and our
soils need humus anyhow, the best plan is generally to use
Nitrate with a light coating of manure. In this way the
maximum effect of both would be obtained. But it must
be understood that no fertilizers will take the place of poor
preparation of the soil or poor care of the crop. The land
must be in good physical condition to make the best use of
the plant food already, in it or to be added to it.

Will Nitrate Injure
the Quality of the Beet or the Soil ?

Excessive quantities of either manures or Nitrate ot
Soda are not recommended. This would not be profitable
anyhow, because the large quantities of either would not pay
for themselves in the increased yield. We have also the
advantage of irrigation, by the proper use of which the
quality of the beet can be influenced.

Sugar-Beets

39

As to the effect of the Nitrate of Soda upon the soil, it Nitrate of
might be argued that the Nitrate in producing a large Soda for
yield would use up so much of the other ready plant- foods
that there would be none left for the next crop. Contrary
effect, however, has resulted in actual practice. In our
soils we have ample quantities of the other two necessary
elements by potash and phosphoric acid and these are held
in reserve and are constantly being made available or set
free for the use of plants through the chemical action in
the soil, which is always going on.

Topping Beets. — Colorado Experiment Station.

It has been claimed by inexperienced critics also that
Nitrate of Soda has a tendency to make the soil more
compact or less easily workable. In practice it is difficult
to see how this could take place with the many hoeings and
cultivations the beet crop is bound to receive, and, in fact,
it does not take place. But if both causes as to injurious
effect should be partly true it would be set aright by the
rotations with grains, alfalfa or other crops, which is finally
inevitable for the best all-around results in crop production.

Nitrate of How Much Nitrate is Best to Use.

Soda for

Sugar-Beets The amount of Nitrate which is most profitable to

40 use depends upon the condition of the soil, and, of course,
upon the pocketbook. A reasonable quantity will be from
150 pounds to 300 pounds per acre. More can be used
to advantage upon naturally poorer land than upon the more
productive. There is a limit to the most profitable amount
to use, depending upon the condition of the land itself. A
soil will not produce over a certain limit for that particular
season, no matter how much plant food is present. As
much as 580 pounds has been used on rather poor land
with a little profit, but not a profit in proportion to the
results from the use of 300 pounds.

When and How to Use Nitrate —
Cost of Application.

While there has been found to be little difference in
results between applying all the intended quantity at once
before or at the time of seeding and the same quantity
used partly at the time of application and the balance in a
couple of dressings later at different periods during the
growing season, it will probably be best, until this matter
is better understood, to apply the Nitrate in two portions,
half the quantity at or before the time of seeding and the
balance broadcasted over the beets after they are well
established, before the first hoeing and thinning.

No matter in what manner the Nitrate may be applied,
the lumps must be broken up and all passed through a
5^-inch or ^-inch sieve or screen. The Nitrate can then
be broadcasted just before the last harrowing before seeding.
This can be done by the use of an endgate seed or fertilizer
sower, by which two men with a team and wagon can cover
40 to 50 acres per day. At 40 acres a day and $6.00 for
man and team, this will be at an expense of 1 5 cents per
acre. The labor of screening and resacking should not
exceed 5 cents per hundred pounds. The broadcasting can
also be done by means of a fertilizer distributor made for
the purpose, something after the manner of a grain drill.
By the use of this sower, one man and team could probably

Cover half the above number of acres. There are objections Nitrate of

to the endgate sower, as it is quite difficult to sow the e°da f °o
r ... . . , Sugar-Beets

fertilizer evenly in a wind.

The Nitrate can also be sown at the same time as the
seed, and in the same row, by the use of a fertilizer
attachment to an ordinary drill. Beet drills are also
manufactured especially for this purpose with two hoppers
or boxes to contain seed and fertilizer. The fertilizer falls
after the seed from a separate spout or tube in such a way

Weighing Samples in Nitrate Experiments. — Colorado Experiment Station.

that the seed is covered by a layer of soil and the fertilizer
comes on top of this layer when all is covered by the soil.
It might be supposed that a strong, soluble chemical
sown with the seed in this way would injure the seed, but,
on the contrary, it has been found that this favors strong
germination of the seed. The Nitrate is so soluble that in
contact with the moist soil, it disappears into the soil in a
few days, before the beet seed is ready to sprout.

Nitrate of What Returns to Expect.

Soda for

Anyone who is contemplating using fertilizers on
4* sugar-beets is naturally anxious to know what to expect in
probable returns. It may be stated that in Official ex-
perimental work covering three years, and also in practice,
the returns due to Nitrate of Soda in quantities mostly of
200 pounds per acre and less, have given returns in value
of beets over the total cost of the Nitrate applied only,
estimated at $3.00 per 100 pounds, ranging from about $7.00
to $15.00 per acre. It may also be stated that the use of
Nitrate of Soda on sugar-beets in Colorado has passed the ex-
perimental stage,one factory district alone having used several
hundred tons during the last two or three years with profit.

The best time and method of application of Nitrate
of Soda to sugar-beets under Colorado conditions, the
result of my experiments shows that all the Nitrate can be
applied at the time of planting the seed, or immediately
before, and harrowed into the soil.

The Nitrate of Soda should all be passed through a
screen of %- or ^-inch mesh before application, and can
be broadcasted through "endgate" seeders or applied with
ordinary grain seed drills fitted with agitators of some sort.
I sowed the Nitrate with an ordinary grain drill fitted with
a revolving rod, carrying cross-pieces over each feed
" hole/' and seeded the beet seed immediately afterward.

Nitrate of Soda, or any other fertilizer, can also be
applied by an attachment to the ordinary sugar-beet seed drill,
although in the case of Nitrate of Soda, this is not recom-
mended, because these attachments are not yet fitted with
agitators to prevent the Nitrate from " bridging." Every
sugar-beet grower understands what the meaning of this is.

A. H. DANIELSON.

Supplement I. Nitrate of

Soda for

Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, Sugar-Beets

Bulletin 179. 43

Sugar- Beet Investigations.

By J. D. Towar.

Abstract.

Coarse manure applied some two «^, .

months before sowing the beets resulted in „. , .

some increased yield and beets of a normal A . . . c

c } Authorities Say.

percentage or sugar.

Carefully prepared home mixed fertilizer gave higher
yields and better beets than stable manure.

Nitrate of Soda in combination with other elements
generally increased the yield with a normal per cent of sugar.

But in every case Nitrate of Soda gave higher yields than
sulfate of ammonia.

Wood ashes and salt increased the yield of beets
only slightly.

One ton of air-slaked lime per acre increased slightly
the yield of beets on the uplands without affecting the
percentage of sugar.

On muck land one ton of air-slaked lime per acre in
combination with other fertilizers decreased the tonnage
eleven per cent, and reduced the sugar content from 9.64
to 7.68 per cent. When lime was applied alone on muck
land, increased applications increased the tonnage of beets,
but decreased the percentage of sugar.

Early planting gave larger yields and slightly higher
percentage of sugar.

Clay loam soil produced the largest tonnage and the
highest percentage of sugar, followed by other soils in the
order below, except that the tonnage on muck is next to
clay loam; sandy loam, sand clay, muck.

Throughout the period of growth there was a slightly
greater development of leaf on the plots receiving lime than
on those under similar treatment, though unlimed ; while
to the credit of Nitrate of Soda was earlier germination
and a decidedly greater development of the plants all through the
first half of the season.

Nitrate of Attention is called in the following table to the effect

r of Nitrate of Soda as compared with sulfate of ammonia,

Sugar-Beets

44

as a fertilizer for sugar-beets.

In complete fertilizer.
Plots 5 and 7.

In complete fertilizer,
with lime. Plots 6
and 8.

Alone. Plots 11
and 12,.

Yield
pounds.

Per cent,
sugar.

Yield
pounds.

Per cent,
sugar.

Yield
pounds.

Per cent,
sugar.

Nitrate of Soda

15,630
15,000

15.25
15.10

17,750
14,630

15.48
15.78

13,680
13,620

*5-34
13.98

Sulfate of Ammonia . . .

Gain in favor of Nitrate
of Soda

630

: i

. 1 5

3,120

— •30

60

1.36

The yield in every case was in favor of Nitrate of Soda,
while the varying per cents of sugar leave that feature of
the question still very inconclusive.

Comparing plots nine and ten in table one, page 95,
we find that Nitrate of Soda produced 4,200 more pounds
of beets per acre, which were 1.76 per cent richer in sugar,
with a material increase in the co-efficient of purity.

In connection with the College Farm soil test experi-
ment a comparison of ammonia and Nitrate Nitrogen was
made. The soil was medium loam and of uniform charac-
ter, dissolved phosphate rock and muriate of potash applied
in like quantities in each case.

Yield, pounds Percent,
per acre. sugar.

Complete Fertilizer, containing Nitrate Nitrogen . . 1 1 ,47 1
Complete Fertilizer,containing Ammonia Nitrogen 9,688

15.22

12.69

Purity.

81.9
67.0

In favor of Nitrate Nitrogen

1,783 2.53 14.6

Michigan Experiments on Sugar-Beets in 1901.

(Extract from Michigan Bulletin 197,

Issued 1902.)

A field was planned to test the effect of excessive
amounts of each of the various fertilizing elements in
comparison with normal applications in the form of com-
mercial and home mixed fertilizers.

A standard brand of commercial fertilizers was selected Nitrate of
and a mixture equal in fertilizing value to 2CO pounds was foda f °r

. .7 ° / r TVT~ r r, / SugEF-BeetS

prepared. T his required 32 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, -
25 pounds muriate of potash, and 137 pounds of dissolved 45
phosphate rock. The six plots of the experiment received
applications as follows :

Plot i. — Nothing.

Plot 2. — 147 pounds mixture plus 24 pounds Nitrate of
Soda.

Plot 3. — 147 pounds mixture plus 103 pounds dissolved
phosphate rock.

Plot 4. — 147 pounds mixture plus 20 pounds muriate of
potash.

Plot 5. — 195 pounds mixture.

Plot 6. — 250 pounds commercial fertilizer.

It will be seen by the above that Plots 2, 3 and 4
received but three-fourths of the mixture as applied to Plot
5; the other fourth being supplied by doubling the amount
of Nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash respectively.

The yields of beets, percentage of sugar, and pounds
of sugar per acre are given in the following table :

"Yield Per cent, sugar Sugar

Plot. Fertilizers. per acre, in beets. per acre.

Pounds. Pounds.

1 Nothing 16,793 *5-98 2,709

2 Excessive Nitrogen 25,098 16.23 4,083

3 Excessive Phosphoric Acid .... 22,843 1S>^S 3,621

4 Excessive Potash 21,817 J5'64 3>412

5 Normal Home Mixture 18,900 J7-O4 3,220

6 Commercial Fertilizer 17,740 15.66 2,778

These figures show decidedly in favor of increasing
the Nitrogen content of the sugar-beet fertilizers. Not
only is the yield of beets greater, but the percentage of sugar is
higher where an excessive amount of Nitrate of Soda is
applied. The marked difference in yield of sugar from the
home mixed fertilizer over the commercial fertilizer suggests
the possibility of Nitrate Nitrogen being superior to the
form of Nitrogen found in the commercial fertilizer.

Nitrate of While no experiment comparing in equal quantities

S r B °t organic Nitrate and ammonia Nitrogen, the general results

so far favor the Nitrate.

In the fertilizer experiment on page 130, the Nitrogen
in the commercial fertilizer analyzing 2.24 per cent ammo-
nia was undoubtedly of organic origin. The results from
three years' experiments show a yield of 20 per cent more
sugar from Nitrate Nitrogen than from the commercial
fertilizer containing dried blood or some other organic
Nitrogen.

Nitrate Nitrogen vs. Ammonia Nitrogen.

This experiment has been in progress for three years.
The results recorded on following page are from experi-
ments in three different fields of the College Farm. In
every case the potash and phosphoric acid applied on the
compared plots were identical. The quantity of Nitrate of
Soda and sulphate ammonia was in each case regulated
according to the ammonia content of the two materials, so
calculated that the same quantity of Nitrogen was applied
in every case where results are compared.

The following is a fair comparison of Nitrate of Soda
and sulphate ammonia as a source of Nitrogen for sugar-
beets, and being the average result from five different
experiments conducted for three years in succession, and
showing a yield of over 1 1 per cent more sugar from the
Nitrate than from the ammonia presents conclusive evidence
of the superiority of the former.

CHARACTER OF SOIL.

NITRATE NITROGEN.

AMMONIA NITROGEN.

Yield
per acre.

Per

cent,
sugar.

Sugar
per
acre.

Yield
per acre.

Per

cent,
sugar.

Sugar
per
acre.

i Light sandy

Pounds.
20,408
20,136
16,479
18,789
I5»058

12.45

13-19
14.09

13-43
13.29

Pounds
2,463
2,656

2,323
2,524
2,003

Pounds.

i9»387
16,412
15,899
i5»572
i3>9l6

12.68
12.44
14.19

13'19
13.19

Pounds.

2,459
2,041
2,255
2,176
i,837

2 Clay loam

3 Sandy loam (complete fertilizer)

4 Same as 3 plus (one ton lime)
5 Sandy loam (as single elements)

Average sugar per acre , .

2,394

2,154

Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station.

Bulletin No. 132.

1902.

Sugar- Beet Investigations in 1901.

By John W. Ames.

Nitrate of
Soda for
Sugar-Beets

47

Fertilizer Experiments at Neapolis, Ohio.

A series of plots containing 1-20 acre each, on light
sandy soil at Neapolis, were treated with fertilizers for the
purpose of showing the effect, if any, of phosphoric acid,

Table VII : FERTILIZER EXPERIMENTS ON BLACK SAND AT

NEAPOLIS.

"° 1

1

1

i

3 e

o

Z

Fertilizer Applied

Date

*: B

I;

fe

L

t "O

a. c

x 3
« »•

£

per acre.

Analyzed.

If

t- B"

3
0.

ll

3

IS,

3 i
" S

5>

3
to

.a

|

£ -
0 cL

Oct. 2, 1901

3*8

"3*5

88.2

I

None.

" 15, 1901

350

14.9

86.2

« 29, 1901

268

16.6

88.2

8,700

4>'44

2

Acid phosphate,
1 60 pounds.

Oct. 2, 1901
*' 15, I9OI
" 29, 1901

217

373
237

15.4
15.8
18.4

88.5
89.6
87.2

8,740

260

i, 608

3

Acid phosphate,
1 60 pounds.
Potassium sulfate,
100 pounds.

Oct. 2, 1901
" 15, 1901
<< 29, 1901

279

33°
308

11.7
14.9
15.8

89.7
90.0
85.9

13,560

3.980

2,142

Oct. 2, 1901

221

14.2

87.6

4

None.

" 15, 1901

I87

14.4

87.7

" 29, 1901

I9I

15.2

86.4

9,360

1,422

Acid phosphate,

5

1 60 pounds.

Nitrate of Soda*
1 60 pounds.

Potassium sulfate,

Oct. 2, 1901
" 15, 1901
" 29, 1901

327
162

15.0

'3-9
16.6

89.8
84.9
84.3

17,100

8,070

2,838

100 pounds.

Nitrogen applied in form of Nitrate of Sodi

Nitrate of potash and Nitrogen on the quality of beets and yield per

Soda for acre< Acid phosphate, potassium sulfate, potassium chlorid,

Sugar-Beets Ar. r c. j ^ j i j

_ Nitrate of boday tankage and barnyard manure were used

as carriers of the phosphoric acid, potash and Nitrogen.
The same variety of seed, Original Kleinwanzlebener, was
planted on all the plots.

Results on Black Sand.

More satisfactory results were obtained from the ferti-
lizer tests on black sand, the increase of yield of the
fertilized plots over the unfertilized being very decided. The
test included a series of five plots, the first and fourth
being left unfertilized. The results shown in Table VII,
page 72, set forth the interesting facts that acid phosphate
alone increased the yield 260 pounds to the acre ; the com-
bination of phosphoric acid and potash shows better results,
by increasing the yield 3,980 pounds per acre; the combi-
nation of phosphoric acid, potash and Nitrogen shows the
best results, giving an increase of 8,070 pounds per acre.

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station.
Extract from Bulletin No. 73.

Table IV.— EFFECT OF EACH CLASS OF FERTILIZERS.

Yield Sugar Purity

FERTILIZERS. per acre in juice of juice

in tons. percent. percent.

Plots having potash 1 1 . 6 12.7 81.4

Plots having Nitrate 11.7 13.0 81.8

Plots having phosphate 11.7 12.7 81.2

Plots not fertilized : 1 1 . i 12.6 81.3

The Progress of the Beet Sugar Industry Nitrate of

. Soda for

in America. Sugar-Beets

From Report No. 80, 49

U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Page i75>

The work of Professor C. O. Townsend, of the
Bureau of Plant Industry of the United States Department
of Agriculture, which has recently been published in
Secretary Wilson's Report for the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture, concerning the use of Nitrate of Soda
on sugar-beets is of great interest and is as follows :

" Nitrate of Soda has a decided effect in increasing the value of beets
per acre. This experiment has been repeated several times with similar
results under varying conditions. It seems, therefore, that Nitrate of Soda
is beneficial as a fertilizer for sugar-beets under ordinary circumstances. A
little better results were obtained by putting the Nitrate on in two applica-
tions, as shown in plat 4, although when 300 pounds of Nitrate were applied
at one time the results were almost as good. The cost of the 300 pounds
of Nitrate, including its application, was approximately $9.00, so that in all
cases where Nitrate was used a decided financial gain resulted. It should be
noted, also, that the Nitrate did not apparently affect the sugar content nor
the purity of the beets. In a few cases where larger quantities of Nitrate
were used the results were not appreciably better than when only 300 pounds
per acre were applied. Whether or not this is a general rule can be deter-
mined only by repeated experiments."

The great and growing interest now N. . tc ,

p 1- r • • i_ • Nitrate of Soda

taken in the subject or raising beet sugar in c c D

, . i rxr- c for Sugar-Beets.

this country makes the use or Nitrate or

Soda on this crop of special interest, for it is only by the judi-
cious use of this fertilizer that we can hope to compete with
the best growers of Europe who have long profited by its use.

Nitrate should be used only in connection with super-
phosphate and potash, and should be applied early in the
growth of the beet — as soon after they come up the better;
200 to 300 pounds of Nitrate per acre is about the quantity
that should be used. About 300 pounds of superphosphate
and 100 pounds of sulphate of potash should be applied
per acre before sowing the seed.

J. E. W. Tracy, of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture, says in Farmers' Bulle-
tin No. 251 :

Nitrate of "It is absolutely essential to success that we secure the best quality of

Soda for seed, and past experience has conclusively shown that we cannot depend
Sugar-Beets upon doing so from abroad. We must raise it ourselves, and in such a care-
ful, scientific manner that it will not only be of the best quality, but will
have such characteristics as will make it adapted to the particular needs and
requirements of the locality where it is to be sown. Seed raised on a particular
soil and under certain climatic conditions may not be best suited for planting
in like soils and under similar climatic conditions ; in fact, very often it is
not. Seed from comparatively poor soil may do best on rich soil, or that
raised in the East may do best when sown in the West. Only study and
personal experience on the part of each factory manager can determine what
seed is best suited for the conditions in his region."

Fertilizers for the Sugar- Beet.

" Professor Schneidewind, the German beet expert, has made
extensive experiments with fertilizers for beets and he has come to the con-
clusion that the views of the different experts in regard to the value of these
fertilizers which are best suited to beets can never be considered as correct,
because the plant foods at the disposal of the root have a very different effect
in different surroundings, and that it must remain largely for the individual
farmer to give each suggestion a fair trial and then draw his own conclusions.
The experiments by Schneidewind show that a surface application, Top-
Dressing, of Nitrate of Soda (saltpeter) is better suited to beets than any other
form of nitric fertilizer, and very much more satisfactory.'*

— From The American Sugar Industry, 1906.

Nitrate of Soda as a Fertilizer for Beets.

Mr. E. S. Bumstead, President of the State Beet
Growers' Association, of Colorado, has stated that "At Sugar
City, near Rocky Ford, beet growers began using Nitrate
of Soda as a fertilizer three years ago. 'This was obtained
from Chili, South America, and the very first experiment
therewith proved so beneficial that it has been in use ever since.

" 'Two hundred and thirty-five tons were tried first. The
indications were from the outset that just the right thing had
been discovered, and my opinion is that this will eventually
become a great commercial article. It is reliably told me that
100 pounds of the soda will increase beet tonnage from 2 ^ to
j*/2 tons per acre.

" With this in view, it can be readily seen that such a
fertilizer is not only practical, but quite profitable. This is
another case in which science is aiding nature, but science
must be good for something."

Experiments with Nitrate of Soda.

SUGAR BEETS.

Nitrate of
Soda for
Sugar-Beets

51

No Phosphoric Acid Potash *..d

Fert i lizcr and Potash ^ or Nitrate

F>s Or Paul \Vaoner

Experiments with Nitrate of Soda

SUGAR BEETS.

FertiFr/ed with Phosphoric Acid, Potash

H oz. Nitrate. ^ol Nitrate 3Az; Nitrad

From 150 to 300 Ibs. Nitrate of Soda per acre islpplied i

one* or more dress IHL>^. 1U' Oi: IVuil W;HMH

In the experiments with sugar-beets, it will be noticed
that the addition of a ration of phosphoric acid and potash
to the soil, without Nitrate, actually reduced the yield of
sugar-beets. Then as the quantity of Nitrate was increased,
the yield of sugar-beets was correspondingly increased.

Nitrate of

Soda for

Sugar-Beets

Table Showing Prices of Nitrate of Soda Nitrate of

Soda for

on the Ammoniate Basis. Sugar-Beets

Figured on Basis of 380 Pounds Ammonia in One
Ton of Nitrate of Soda.

Equivalent

Cost

Equivalent

Cost per

Cost

Cost per

Ammonia

Cost of

Cwt. of

Ammonia

ton of

per Ib. as

Nitrogen

Nitrate.

per Ton unit.

Nitrate.

Nitrate.

perlb-

$2.00

$2.10

$40.00

$0.105

$0.128

2.05

2.16

41.00

0.108

0.131

2.10

2.21

42.00

0.111

0.134

2.15

2.26

43.00

0.113

0.137

220

2.31

44 00

0.116

0.140

2.25

2.37

45.00

0.118

0.144

2.30

2.42

46.00

0.121

0.147

235

2.47

47.00

0.124

0.150

2.40

2.53

48.00

0.126

0.153

245

258

49.00

0.129

0.156

2 50

2.63

50.00

0.132

0.159

2.55

2.68

51.00

0.134

0.162

2.60

2.73

52.00

0.137

0.165

2.65

2.78

53.00

0.140

0.168

2.70

2.83

54.00

0.143

0.171

2.75

2.88

55.00

0.146

0.174

2.80

2.93

56.00

0.149

0.177

2.85

2.98

57.00

0.152

0 180

2.90

3.03

58.00

0.155

0.183

2.95

3.08

59.00

0.158

0.186

3.00

3.13

60.00

0.160

0.189

This table enables one to compare commercial quota-
tions on ammoniates with accuracy. The figures themselves
are not quotations in any sense of the word, and ail the
figures of the table refer only to one grade of Nitrate of
Soda, namely: that containing 15.65 per cent, of Nitrogen,
equivalent to 19.00 per cent, of ammonia. It is prepared
merely in order that purchasers may compare the price of
Nitrate of Soda, which is always quoted by the hundred
pounds, with other ammoniates, which are quoted by
the ton unit. In the first column, therefore, are given the
prices per hundred weight of Nitrate of Soda ; in the second

Nitrate of column, the equivalent price of the ammonia per ton unit;
Soda for jn fae third column, the corresponding prices per ton ; in the
fourth column, the cost of the contained ammonia per
54 pound, a figure which is always discussed, but almost never
explained in Station Bulletins, and in the fifth column
are given the corresponding prices of the cost of the Nitro-
gen per pound, a figure also much discussed, but not always
explained in Bulletins. The important figures to remember
are the price per hundred weight, the price per ton and the
equivalent price of the ammonia in the Nitrate per ton unit.
The table is prepared to cover fluctuations in price running
from two dollars per hundred, to three dollars per hundred;
or from forty dollars to sixty dollars per ton.

Increased Yield per Acre of Crops receiving Nitrate

at the rate of 100 pounds to the Acre

over those receiving none.

Barley . . . . 400 pounds of grain.

Corn . . . . . . 280 pounds of grain.

Oats ...... 400 pounds of grain.

Rye . . . . . . . 300 pounds of grain.

Wheat . . . . . 300 pounds of grain.

Potatoes . . . . . 3,600 pounds of tubers.

Hay . . . . . 1,000 pounds, barn-cured.

Cotton . . . • . . • .500 pounds seed-cotton.
Sugar-Beets . . . . . 4,000 pounds of tubers.

Beets ...... 4,000 pounds of tubers.

Sweet Potatoes . . ... . 3,900 pounds of tubers.

Cabbages . . . . . . . 6,100 pounds.

Carrots . . . . . . 7,800 pounds.

Onions . . .' ... ... • 1,800 pounds.

Turnips . . ... . . . 37 per cent.

Strawberries . 200 quarts.

Asparagus . . . . . • . 100 bunches.

Tomatoes 100 baskets.

Celery V 30 per cent.

General Directions for Nitrate of

Soda for

the Use of Nitrate of Soda on Staple Crops. sugar-Beets

The use of Nitrate of Soda alone is never recommended, 55
except at the rate of not more than one hundred pounds to
the acre. It may be thus safely and profitably used without
other fertilizers. It may be applied at this rate as a .Top-
Dressing in the Spring of the year, as soon as vegetation be-
gins to turn green; or, in other words, as soon as the crops
begin new growth. At this rate very satisfactory results are
usually obtained without the use of any other fertilizer, and
the Soda residual, after the Nitrogenous Ammoniate Food
of this chemical is used up by the plant, has a perceptible
effect in sweetening sour land.

In most of our Grass experiments where Nitrate was
used alone at the rate of but One Hundred Pounds per acre,
not only was the Aftermath, or Rowen, much improved, but
in the subsequent seasons, with nothing applied to the plots,
a decidedly marked effect was noticed, even on old meadows.
This speaks very well indeed for Nitrate of Soda not leaching
out of the soil. The readily soluble elements are the readily
available elements. The natural capillarity of soils doubtless
is, in most instances, a powerful factor in retaining all readily
soluble elements of fertility.

If this were not so, all the fertility of the world in our
humid regions would, in a season or two, run into the ocean,
and be permanently lost.

This is mentioned on account of certain critics having
taken the trouble to object to the use of Nitrate on the
grounds that it would leach away. A case is yet to be seen
where the after-effect of Nitrate is not distinguishable, and,
in certain cases, such effects have been most marked.

When it is desired to use a larger amount than one
hundred pounds per acre of Nitrate of Soda as a Top-
Dressing, or in any other way, there should be present some
form of Phosphatic and Potassic Plant Food, and we recom-
mend not less than two hundred and fifty pounds of either
Acid Phosphate or fine ground Raw Rock, and two hundred
and fifty pounds of some high-grade Potash Salt, preferably
the Sulphate, or wood ashes in twice this quantity. A much
larger amount than one hundred pounds of Nitrate per acre,
when used alone on staple crops, is generally sure to give an

Nitrate of unprofitable and unbalanced food ration to the plant. For
Soda for Market Gardening Crops, Hops or Sugar-Beets, however,

somewhat more may be used alone.

56 When the above amounts of Phosphatic and Potassic

Fertilizers are used, as much as three hundred pounds of
Nitrate of Soda may be applied with profit. In applying
Nitrate in any ration it is desirable to mix it with an equal
quantity of land plaster or fine, dry loam or sand.

If you have any reason to suspect adulteration of the
Nitrate you may buy, send several pounds of it to your
Experiment Station for analysis, giving date of purchase, full
name and address of agent, and of the Company which the
seller represents.

Generally on the Pacific Coast Nitrate may be applied
as a Top-Dressing after the heavy Spring rains are over, but
before crops attain much of a start.

Index.

PAGE

Acid Phosphate, 15

Almost all Kinds of Soil Suitable for Sugar-Beets, ., . 26

" American Sugar Industry, 1906," 50

Ammonia, Beets Need, 21

Ammoniates, All Converted into Nitrates, 22

Amount of Nitrate to be Used Depends Upon the Soil,. 22

Arizona Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 51, Illus., 6

Average Yield per Acre in Colorado, 30

Beet Drills, . . . 12

Beets Need Ammoniates, 21

Beets Require Deeper Tilth, , 10

Beet, The, 34

Beet, The Leaf or Top, 33

Beet Soil, 7

Best Use of Nitrogen Requires an Abundance of Phosphoric Acid in

the Soil, 15

Best Time and Method to Apply Nitrate, 42

Broadcasting, 35

California Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 176, Illus., 27

Clay Loam Soil, 43, 46

Climate, 7

Cold Soils, 10

Cold the Greatest Enemy, 9

Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station, Abstract from Bulletin

No. 115, by A. H. Danielson, 30

Colorado Soils, 37

Comparison of Nitrate Nitrogen and Ammonia Nitrogen, 46

Comparison of Plots, 47

Condition of the Land, 38

Cost of Application, 30

Cultivation, Deep, 10

Deep Cultivation and Thorough Weeding, 10, 13

Desirable Types of Sugar-Beets, Illus., 18

Drainage, 9

Drainage, Good, a Necessity, 26

Drills, 35

Early Planting, 43

Elements the Soil Needs to Grow Crops, 36

Effect of Nitrate of Soda Upon the Soil 39

Effect of Nitrogenous Fertilizers on Sugar-Beets, 29

Equality of Yields, 12

Excessive Quantities not Recommended, 38

Farmers' Bulletin No. 251, J. E. W. Tracy, Bureau of Plant Industry,

United States Department of Agriculture, 49

Farm-yard Manure, Kinds to Use, . . 28

Fertilizer Experiments at Neapolis, Ohio, 47

Fertilizer for Sugar-Beets, 5°

Fifth Requisite is Deep Cultivation, I o

PAGE

First Requisite is Suitable Climate, 7

Formula for Sugar-Beets, 25

Functions of Nitrate of Soda in Sugar-Beet Growing, 5

General Directions for Staple Crops, 54

Heavy Clay Soils, 8

Home Mixed Fertilizers, 43

How Much Nitrate is Best to be Used, 40

How Other Ammoniates Act, 23

How to Apply Nitrate, 29

How to Select Varieties, 1 6

Importance of Weeding, 13

Intensive Use of Nitrate of Soda, 21

Introduction, 5

Illustrations, 6, n, 17, 18, 27, 28, 32, 34, 39, 41, 51, 52

Judicious Drainage, 9

Land, Condition of, 36

Large Losses of Ammonia when Ordinary Ammoniates Are Used, . . 22, 29
Lecture, Extracts from, Delivered by Dr. Maercker, Government Privy

Councillor, German Agricultural Association, on the Profitable

Cultivation of the Sugar-Beet and Other Crops by the Use of

Nitrate of Soda, 5

Lime in the Soil, a Requisite, 9

Lime to Modify Clay Soils, 8

Lime, Use of, 8

Maturing of Beets, 33

Map Showing Temperature Zone in Which the Sugar-Beet Attains its

Greatest Perfection, 52

Michigan Bulletin No. 1 97, 44

Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 179, 43

More Liberal Use of Fertilizers, 12

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, Extract from Bulletin

No. 73, 48

Necessary Outlay, 1 1 , 12

Nitrate Indispensable, 23

Nitrate of Soda, 5, 21, 23, 29, 33

Nitrate Nitrogen vs. Ammonia Nitrogen, 46

Nitrate of Soda as a Fertilizer for Beets, by E. S. Bumstead, President

of State Beet Growers' Association, 50

Nitrate Used With Judgment, 20

Nitrate the Most Suitable, 19

Nitrogen of Nitrate of Soda Most Effective, 19, 39

Nitrogenous Food Necessary, 21

Ohio Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 132, Sugar-Beet Investigations,

by John W. Ames, 47

Phosphoric Acid, 14

Practical Suggestions, 34

Price of Beet Tops, 33

Profitable Cultivation of Sugar-Beets, . . 5

Progress of the Beet Sugar Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 49

Residual Effects of Manures and Fertilizers, 33

PAGE

Results (Colorado Station), 30

Results on Black Sand, 48

Results of Three Years' Experiments in Michigan, 44

Returns on Beets, 42

Right Use of Hoe, 13

Root System of Sugar-Beets, Illus., 1 1

Row Irrigation of Sugar-Beets, California Experiment Station, Bulletin

No. 176, 28

Second Requisite, 7

Showing Root System of Sugar-Beets and Great Extent of Feeding,

California Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 176, 27

Soils Hungry for Nitrogen, 24

Soils Suitable for Cultivation, 7

Sub-Soil, 8

Sugar-Beets for Profit, 26

Sugar-Beet Investigation by J. D. Towar, . . 43

Sugar-Beet Investigations, 47

Sugar-Beets Must be Ripe, 21

Summary, 26

Table of Fertilizer Experiments on Black Sand at Neapolis, Ohio, .... 47

Table of Nitrate of Soda as Compared with Sulphate of Ammonia, . . 44

Table Showing Prices of Nitrate of Soda on the Ammoniate Basis, .... 53
Table of Yields of Beets, Percentage of Sugar and Pounds of Sugar

per Acre, 46

The Beet, 34

The Beet, and Leaf or Top, 33

The Progress of the Beet Sugar Industry in America, from Report

No. 80, United States Department of Agriculture, Page 175, ... 49

Third Requisite, 8

Time and Method of Application, 29

Topping Beets, Illus., 39

Types of Soil Not Restricted, 8

Undesirable Types of Sugar-Beets, Illus., 17

Use of Drill and Hoe, 12

Use of Farm-yard Manure, 19

Use of Nitrate of Soda on Sugar-Beets in Colorado, 35

Use of Sieve or Screen for Breaking Lumps, 42

Varieties, How to Select, 1 6

Varying Types of Sugar-Beets, Illus., 32

Warm Soil' Best, 26

Weighing Samples in Nitrate Experiments, Illus., 41

What Elements a Soil Needs to Grow Crops, 36

What is Best for Sugar-Beets, 37

What Returns to Expect, 42

What the Michigan Authorities Say, 43

When and How to Use Nitrate, 38

Where and How to Use Nitrate, 38

Will Nitrate Injure the Quality of the Beet or Soil, 38

Without Nitrate the Profitable Cultivation Cannot be Carried On. ... 23

Yields from Plots, 1/20 of an Acre, , 47

°>: £ v :' v^ i

». < . .-

T • - -"-' - '

$0*J

X^>|OMMUNICATIONS received from farmers and
prospective consumers interested in the use of

^^-** Nitrate of Soda, who are unable to secure it in
their immediate vicinity, will be referred to reliable dealers
who will furnish them with this special fertilizer* Formulas
and valuable information sent free*

Below will be found a list of pamphlets relating to
the use of Nitrate of Soda as a fertilizer, which will be
furnished gratis to persons desiring information upon any
of the subjects named*

Cultivation of Citrus Fruits.

* Field Experiments on Market Garden Crops.
Food for Plants.

* Notes on Four Years' Experiments.
Sugar-Beets for Profit.

Olive Culture.

* Market Gardening with Nitrate.
The Cultivation of the Sugar Cane.
The Cultivation of Tobacco.

The Cultivation of Cotton.

Coffee Planting.

Grass Growing for Profit.

* Included in " Food for Plants."

WILLIAM S. MYERS, F. C. S., Director

Nitrate Propaganda

John Street and 71 Nassau, New York

THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE
STAMPED BELOW

AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS

WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN
THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY
WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH
DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY
OVERDUE.

DEC 2 1936

LD 21-100m-8,'34

DU

274380

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY