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Show m . 1 1 I 1 SUGfR BEETS I PROBLEMS OF BEET CULTURE IT DISEASES AND PESTS. Bf Kj By Jesse H. Buffum. m M Tlic sugar beet, like most every m other product of the soil, has its B enemies, and while the root has made I wonderful progress along lines of in- H trenchment and is fast becoming one If of the leading products of agriculture 1 in America, with this development J have come the ravages of pests and H the inroads of disease. While this is H a result both natural and to be ex- n peeled, it must be admitted for the I encouragement of those concerned in this industry that the sugar beet has I fewer enemies than the majority of I crops, and we may be complacent in I' the knowledge that disease and infec- 1 tion have gained but little ground in the beet fields of the United! States. This is due partly to the fact that we 4 arc so young as yet, but more pcr- t haps may it be accounted for in the fact that wholesomcness has charact- 1 k crized the inception of the sugar beet industry in almost every locality. We ' ne cautious about our seed, we are painstaking in the application of ' fertilizers fer-tilizers in which, unlike most crop producers, the common barnyard ma- I nure, a marvelous vehicle of insects' I eggs and bacteria, is eschewed so far fl as possible in practical culture. R But because the beet farmer has ex- I perienced little annoyance from at- M tacks of pests and blights, he should ft not for one moment rest in contcnt- II ment, Relieving himself immune from El disturbances of this nature. Beet dis- H eases and pests are bound to spread with the general expansion of the in- dustry, and within a very few years W the grower will find himself grappling If with new problems in the shape of B natural and physical enemies of his If crop. Practical demonstrations have proven that methods of culture, care I of the crop and manipulation of the j soil may have much to do with main-H main-H taining a general condition unfavor-H unfavor-H able to the propagation of injurious M bnctcria and devastating insects, and fl wholly discouraging to the inroad and spread of diseases. In this matter as in many others that we have spoken vf, the grower should assume an at-. I titude of constant study, Aiifcli will capably fit him for intelligently dealing deal-ing with these problems when they are finally presented in his own field, ns is sooner or later pretty sure to be the case. In the case of some known diseases, curly top among them, exact ex-act remedies have not been discovered, discover-ed, but notwithstanding this, a knowledge knowl-edge on the grower's part of the habits hab-its of these affections will -materially assist in whatever efforts to stamp out the trouble may be necessary later on. To this end a consideration of those diseases and peste that have already al-ready become known will be profitable profit-able to every grower, while the timeliness time-liness of the discussion must not be overlooked, as fall, practices have much to do with the question in hand. First we will consider sdmc of the hrsscr pests and then take up that most virulent of all beet enemies, curly cur-ly top. Grasshoppers may be said to be a prevalent enemy, though perhaps limited lim-ited as to sections attacked. In cases they arc found in the fields in sufficient suf-ficient numbers to damage the crop, and when found, steps should imanc-diately imanc-diately be taken to get rid of them. There are two popular formulas for the destruction of these insects. Formula, For-mula, jt 100 pounds of bran. jM 6 pounds of Paris green. - 6 pounds common salt. 4 pounds sugar mplasscs. Dissolve the molasses with salt ad ded in water, and with this liquid jnpi'stch the bran. The Paris green should be mixed in separate vessel until it becomes a smooth paste; thin it with water, pouring this paste over the mash, mixing thoroughly. This should be used in the early morning on ditch banks along the edges of fields, sprinkling on vegetation and on the ground. Care must be taken not to give live stock and poultry access to this mixture, as the results might prove more interesting than helpful. Grasshoppers are not generally gen-erally a distressing menace, but must be provided for in case they begin their ravages. Continuing our study of insect pusls, we find what is known as the "beet fly" (Runkclfiicge), which for years has been considered the d'cadli-t d'cadli-t group of insect enemies of. the beet. The maggots of these flics fin-' dcrminc the beet leaves. They pro-, pagatc very rapidly, frequently the second generation getting in its nefarious ne-farious work in the same season as its parents. It is noted in those areas attacked that the middle of July, at least in foreign countries, finds a sudden sud-den cessation of their work. Professor Profes-sor Boekcr of Germany has experimented experi-mented extensively with these pests, and has improved recently upon the old method of fighting them. Formerly Form-erly the only cure known was to strip off the infected leaves, in this way dealing with the maggots after incubation incu-bation from the eggs. The Professor's Profes-sor's new way is to set along the rows f beets slender strips of wood on which are tacked pieces of. fly paper (lc manufactured a special variety td facilitate the work, usfng stiff drawing paper covered with bird glue), and on these strips the flics themselves were caught, before their eggs had been layed.- The experiment was very successful, 630 of the flics being caught in three days. The setting out of the strips of fly paper must begin with the first appearance of the leaves above ground. The strips may be so set ns not to interfere with the operations opera-tions of caring for the beets; and they should face toward the northeast that the sun may not dry them too rapidly. It must be added that frequent and thorough hoeing of the soil is one of the best methods of cure, or rather prevention, as it destroys the chry-sales chry-sales lying dormant in the ground before be-fore hatching. Cut worms have sometimes attacked attack-ed the beets, as was the case in a Michigan instance, where worms of a smoky color and very large put in an appearance. The species at the time was not determined; but very successful efforts were made toward their destruction. Poisoned baits were made use of, trail being mixed with Paris green at the rate of two pounds of poison to one hundred of bran and moistened with cheap molasses mo-lasses and water. This was distributed distribut-ed about the edges of the afflicted patches. An effect was produced within twenty-four hours, and later it developed that the places treated with the bait escaped with practically no injury. Salt, if applied in doses of from 150 to 200 pounds per acre, will sometimes kill the young worms in their wanderings juid deter the older ones. The farmer wnntt to kndw, however, KtfXSt ' 6flfcTt VcSnStaut sow: ings of salt is going to have on his H soil before he engages in this practice M very extensively. M There is a worm that has suddenly M become abundant in certain Colorado fl beet fields, known as the Beet Web- fl Worm, which is freely attacking both fl beets and alfalfa. Pr6f. Gillette, who H made a thorough investigation of the ! scourge, reports that hi every case M found, the worm was hutched ill the H J .... - alfalfa fields and migrated over into fl the beet fields. It is supposed that M this worm appears every year -to a H minor degree in some of the Colorado H beet fields. In one instance a fm- fl acre tract was completely stripped of H all its leaves. In consequence of this, H Prof. Gillette strongly advises a care- H h watch of all beet fields adjoining fl alfalfa. At the first symptom of the H worms crossing into the beets, spray fl or dust immediately a" preparation of H arsenate of lead, or Paris green, along fl the margin between the fields, and fl also it might be well to treat a narrow jfl strip of the alfalfa nearest the tccts. fl If dusting is resorted to, use Paris fl green, sifted through a cheesecloth, H or spray one pound of the lead to H every ten gallons of water. In case lH a Paris green spray is made use of, yH mix one poundLof the powder to every H fifty gallons of water. Again con- H slant and thorough cultivation of the H soil plays an important part, and will H be a successful means of destroying H the worms. These worms come from H eggs deposited in the alfalfa fields by . H the little gray moths so frequently 'H seen on lawns and about the blossoms fl of '.nit trees. H The "Nematode" has attracted oitr H attention in this country just a bit, H and has donct business ' in scvcr.il H places, and Utah and California are M among these. This serious trouble fl seems to have come to us from Gcr- M ninny, where its ravages have -been K disastrous, but tjic worm has , not Kk gained in this country very fast. -It is H supposed that jt came across the wa H cr in some shipments of seed,- Tue H government learned of its presence H here and since then has been doing H all in its power to stamp it out. The B theory has been advanced that a suf- B ficiency of lime on the soil will prove H nn admirable preventive. H (Continued on page ?J- M 1 SUGAR BEETS i PROBLEMS OF BEET CULTURE f By Jesse H. Buffum. P (Continued from page 5.) Rust is not a serious disease, but has made its appearance, and may de- I mand vigorous attention in the near I future. It seems to appear mostly on 1 beets that have remained a long time I unused. It is not so destructive as many of the other enemies of the 1 root. Last year France was called upon S to grapple with a new sugar beet dis ease, which appeared in the form of a parasite. The whole of the beet was attacked, all the stems of the leaves were hollowed out with deep channels open to the air. Rot sets in in consequence in some portions of the root. On tearing the beet apart, tiny caterpillars in various stages of development were found, in groups of from ten to twenty, resembling re-sembling those that prey upon the . apple trees, but very much smaller. It is supposed that in a dry year from , eight to ten generations of these cat- i crpillars develop in one growing sca- , son of the beet, which explains the intensity of the scourge. From the attacks of these parasites a deadly rot immediately sets in, making absolutely absolute-ly impossible any extent of storing or siloing, as the beets will not keep, but continue to rot rapidly. The caterpillar cat-erpillar comes from the larva of a small butterfly. The remedy suggested suggest-ed for this affliction is two-fold, first, to destroy, preferably by burning, all dead leaves and collars or crowns of the beets on harvesting; and, second, I to increase all cultivation, hoeing and removal of weeds, keeping the entire field and vicinity absolutely free from weeds and all growth or other con-iditions con-iditions favorable to the seclusion of the parasite. I This is truly one of the most inter- csting of all pests known to the sugar beet. Although the first year's cx- iperience with it in France brought great disaster to the localities infested, yet the scientific researches resulting give us a wonderful insight into the habits of the caterpillar and likewise reassure all growers through the discovery dis-covery of a natural enemy of this parasite, which pursues it with relentless re-lentless diligence. This is the com mon female bee, which carries in her abdomen a sting, which, when inserted insert-ed into the body of the caterpillar, ejects a microscopic egg. The caterpillar cater-pillar apparently is not at the time disturbed, but matures, leaves the beet, secretes itself in the ground and produces a cocoon, which is to become be-come a butterfly. But the cocoon is no sooner spun than the egg that the bee has inserted in the body of the caterpillar hatches, and the larva that develops devours the organs of the chrysalis. Then it transforms -itself into a grub, and! at the breaking of the cocoon there comes forth an "ichneumon" "ich-neumon" instead of a moth. By reason rea-son of this natural enemy existing to constantly war on the destructive caterpillar, cat-erpillar, beet growers may take courage cour-age in the belief that the pest will at least not become increasingly destructive, destruc-tive, and undoubtedly will diminish gradually; last year proved to have been an exceptionally destructive one in this respect, due perhaps to the excessive ex-cessive dryness. Heart-rot is one of the common diseases of the sugar beet, and its study by scientists and studious growers grow-ers has been prolonged, resulting in considerable light on the subject being be-ing given to the everyday grower. . Unquestionably soil conditions determine deter-mine the development of tliis disease. It occurs most commonly in soils of an argillaceous nature, or clay soils, which are not porous and do not permit per-mit of deep -acration and storing of moisture. On newly cleared land, in spite of all precautions, heart-rot will frequently appear, proving again conclusively con-clusively that the sugar beet docs not take kindly to native soil. In closely packed earth, in fact in all soils that have little humus, beet roots will suffocate. suf-focate. Heart-rot does not usually appear at the very outset of the beet growth, but when the dry season sets in, say, in August. Remedies arc not plentiful, plenti-ful, yet all authorities that the writer has been able to consult agree that deep fall plowing, to ad'mit of the storing of water, is one of the very best precautions, especially where stable manure is to be turned under. Again, where it is possible and feasible, feas-ible, the application of wood ashes tll be fdnnd beneficial and destruc- . 1 tive to the fungi causing heart-rot. Curly Top, or Beet Blight, stands as not only the most common foe to beet culture, but the most disastrous throughout the fields of the western part of this country. Its comprehensive comprehen-sive treatment under the head of enemies of the sugar beet is impossible impos-sible in the limited space remaining at my disposal, so the subject will be taken up more at length at some future fu-ture time. It is of interest in referring to this pestilence, however, to note that with some students there is supposed sup-posed to exist a relationship between curly top and electrical storms, and this forms the basis of one of several theories now under investigation. The supposition is given some credence in the Department of Agriculture, which, however, has not yet gone on record as having confidence. in this as a direct di-rect cause of the blight. In France it is held by not a few scientists that the web-worm is responsible for the trouble, though again the theory is not substantiated. As many as twenty twen-ty theories have been advanced and investigated in this country as to the cause of curly top, and the strongest effort possible is being made to bring the blight under control. As yet the real cjiusc is unknown. In the whole matter of beet culture, and especially as respecting the pests and diseases that beset the root, great watchfulness and close study bring their own reward in both precautionary precaution-ary and curative returns. SILOING. All through the beet growing season, sea-son, which has now come to a close, we have been discussing each operation opera-tion of culture as if great improvement improve-ment could be made in that particular phase of the work, and have endeavored endeav-ored to show that something of a revolution rev-olution in this industry might be effected ef-fected if only the beet growers themselves them-selves were able to awake to the possibilities pos-sibilities and opportunities ahead of them. This stand can be taken, it may be explained, on the ground that in reality this industry is new, and gf rs, even in established districts, have not become as conversant with the superlative of their work as might justly be expectedw Hardly can this attitude on the part of the student be criticised, for Ire is fully justified in calling attrition to obviousVdeficien- M cics in the beet growing business. Ic M is only when these deficiencies are M recognized and corrected that ma- H tcrial progress is going to be made. jH When it comes to improvement in H methods and practice, the producers M themselves should be, the thinkers, exerting themselves along: lines of M definite progress; but they arc not H as a class, and if any one criticism H more than another must be made of H them it is that they arc too well sat- H isficd with partial success and arc H prone to ignore the greater results H awaitng study and experimentation. H This refers to the matter of siloing ad M ' well as other things, as we shall en- H deavor to point out in this, discussion jfl In up-to-date beet culture, siloing M has become a fact. There is no get M ting around it; and while some are M fur sighted enough to foresee that this M element of present day perplexity fl must some day be converted into a M great possibility both for the factory M and for the farmer, it is worth while M for present profit to discuss ways and M methods, for there is a good deal of H variety discoverable in the practices M of those who arc forced to silo their H beets. H Under the present systems siloing M is. a hardship. We arc not advanced M in experience to understand how best M this work may be done, and therefore M loss occurs in almost every instance M The fact of siloing, however, must be M faced, and although less than 50 per M cent of the general crop is treated in M this way, yet for that amount even a M slight saving per ton will bring ample M reward. The present day difficulties encountered in siloing beets may. b: M summarized as follows: H Loss of weight through evapora M H Increased tare through dry ad- H hesion of dirt. H Extra handling (probably tripled. H Cost of covering; disagreeable to H uncover and load. H Delay in sale of beets and receipt H of pay. H Occupying valuable field space and M consequent delay of fall plowing, M Destruction of feeding value of M tops, which probably .are utilized as M covering.and therefore spoiled, though B still good as a fertilizer. H Expensive retention of labor that otherwise would have been utilised and dismissed. H (Continued on tfage 9.) M j , , SUGAR BBETS PROBLEMS OF BEET CULTURE SILOING. By Jesse H. BufFum. (Continued from page 7.) There are other drawbacks of a iiilnpr nature not enumerated. The fault lies not with the fact of siloing so much as with the system now in vogue. There is a general principle worked out in this kind of treatment of beets, with variations originating with different individuals. In the first place, farmers claim that n considerable loss of weight results ffom siloing, and the claim is true. One or two experiment stations have conducted tests for determining the exact loss thus occurring, and have made the discovery that beets placed in crucibles, concrete bins, air tight or, similar receptacles suffer very little lit-tle diminution in weight through evaporation, eva-poration, while those exposed directly direct-ly to air and light lose heavily. On the other hand, those that are covered cov-ered in the usual manner with two to four inches of soil arc reduced in weight to a moderate extent. The result re-sult of this experiment went to prove that siloing might some day be made practical, through some advanced method, and entailing but slight loss t6 cither factory or grower. Certain- ly the tighter and more secure the in-clostirc in-clostirc in which the beets arc stored, the greater the reduction of loss through evaporation. In practical usage it is noticed that siloing in many instances increases the tare somewhat because dirt that cities and adheres to the beet in that condition is not so easily removed and about the only means the operator opera-tor has of decreasing the tare is to strike the beets together as they arc handled. This, however, is a minor objection. Probably the strongest objection raised and the one hardest to meet on the part of advocates of the silo is the extra handling entailed. Certainly this is a very large item; and figures run high in making an estimate of the added cost. It is impractical to expect ex-pect that the toppers, where siloing is anticipated, can so govern their work as to pile the beets in ricks as they throw them together. The win-rows win-rows for siloing arc so far apart and the area of the field is so greatly diminished di-minished by condensing of the tonnage ton-nage into these winrows, that addi- tional handling is unavoidable in most . . K L cases. Added to this is the uncovering uncover-ing and loading when it comes to carting cart-ing away, It is usually an unwelcome task to cover these silo beets. The method generally employed is to plow up a few furrows on each side of the congregated con-gregated beets, whether they be in circular piles or ricks, this loose dirt being used to throw upon the beets. It is never permissible to place straw, beet tops or old hay whatever material mate-rial is used) next to the beets, but these or their substitute arc profitably used as a blanket outside the first layer lay-er of dirt, to be in turn covered with more of the soil. This method is quite generally employed, but at best is a makeshift and unsatisfactory to all concerned. Should leaves or straw or like substances be placed directly di-rectly against the beets, they will adhere ad-here disastrously and become a source of great annoyance inside the factory. Vents of small caliber should be left at the top to permit of enough egress of air for sanitation. It is safe to venture, in considering another phase of dissatisfaction with siloing, that the majority of beet growers grow-ers arc, in common parlance, "hard up" at the end of the season, and in great need of returns from their beets. This should have no part ih theoreti- cal discussions, but is of considerable magnitude when it comes to the ap- plication of said theories. For the beet grower is as human as any man of the soil, and has made a consider- able investment -covering five or six months and has waited that length of time for returns on his soil. The dc- lay of pay day even a month is to him a large item in the consideration of siloing as a practical proposition. Most factories are conducted on the plan of advancing part of the ncccs- sary expense incurred in growing the beets, but it would be another matter for them to advance additional money on undelivered beets. H One of the foremost drawbacks en- countered in siloing is the occupancy of valuable field space. In the first place, that particular patch was chos- en for beets because it was one of the best on the farm and would net big- gest returns in this crop. Logically, thenj it is to play an important and conspicuous part in the coming sea- son. The farmer, if he be at all a I capable beet grower, wants badly to I get onto that field to cither prepare it for next season or sow it to some (Continued on page 11.) 1 1 SUGRR BEETS H PROBLEMS OF BEET CULTURE B SILOING. H By Jesse H. Buffum. V (Continued from page 9.) B other crop, possibly winter wheat. K Fall plowing is getting to be so popu- B lar nowadays that in all probability H it is urgent that plowing be performed B immediately, as in most districts the L harvest comes so late as to be fol- m lowed very closely by whatever fall H work is to be done before frost and m unpropitious weather conditions in- B tcrfcrc. This is a big item and a H; salient objection to the silo proposi- m in most of the beet producing H areas, by-products arc not so abund- m ant on the farm as to do away with m the use of beet tops in the economical H siloing of beets. The tops arc already K nu the field, and moreover make an B excellent covering. Dut their use in H this connection destroys their value B as a feed for cattle. It is so easy to fl utilize tops as a feed that their loss B counts heavily with the-farmer. Even two tons of tops per acre means a good deal, and cattle munch the leaves I with great relish, eveu after decay has begun. Tops thus used, however, possess considerable value when dis- tributcd over the field again as a fcr-I fcr-I tili;:er, and unless a blanket containing f objectionable stubble was used, the 1 entire covering of the silo may be I .spread broadcast over the field, as the I soil must be returned anyhow. I The farmer faces a perplexity when I a large part of his acreage is to be siloed, for the reason that to finally move the crop will require as much I if not a little more labor than if the I beets had been delivered to the factory I diirectly after plowing out. To retain I this labor any considerable length of I time must be expensive to say the least, though hauling and loading constitute the main part of the work. B A month after the general harvest is I completed witnesses the complete B dispersion of foreign labor, and the fl grower must depend upon his nciglt- bors, who, perchance, may be busily engaged in distant work. Again, fl when hauling is finally permitted, road conditions have become unfav- orable to easy cartage,- and mud or I frozen ground contributes to" the hard I ship. In many districts this is known to standi as a common objection, especially es-pecially where rainfall is the moisture supply, the rainy season frequently coming soon after general harvest, producing deep mud with consequent bad roads when freezing sets in. Sd far as freezing of beets "is concerned, con-cerned, this docs not constitute a tenable ten-able objection At all, for a very light covering suffices for protection, while on the other hand frozen beets are not objectionable to the factory people peo-ple so long as they do not experience alternate freezing and thawing. Frozen Froz-en beets are not quite so easy to w rk, require a different analysis, and for other reasons are not wholly desirable; de-sirable; but so long as disintegration has not set in, arc usually acceptable. So much for one side of the question, ques-tion, and while the major portion of this article is devoted to practical objections ob-jections to siloing, it is all done for a purpose. I have itemized these objections ob-jections and given them due weight simply to encourage growers to study the problem point by point, and deal with each phase of the silo proposition proposi-tion with an attempted remedy in viawv The writer has no radical views to present nor is it the intcji-tion intcji-tion here to outline a wholesale plan whereby all these difficulties may be done away with. Siloing is as essential essen-tial to the welfare ofjlhe industry as any other .part of is- promotion and maintenance. Ifis useless to rcbe' against .thcncccssity, for more an 1 jmo'rc arc the factories going to be dependent upon it for their successful success-ful operation. Were it possible to now foresee tliot there will not in the very near future be an increased acreage acre-age per factory, many plants would perhaps give up the ghost before fur tber loss is sustained. A 100-day campaign cam-paign constitutes a good run, and the remainder of the year the factory to idle worse than idle, for a large force of men is required to keep house during the shut-down, and fires must be run beneath the boilers to cover insurance. Throughout the industry, efforts arc being made to maintain the factories in longer campaigns or utilize their machinery during the long lapse of approximately nine months In Michigan they are refining crude sugar from abroad; in California the i iBBU United States government is now ex perimenting with beets planted every month of the year, hoping to prove feasible a continuous campaign. From $600,000 to $1,000,000 is put into every beet sugar factory built, and this investment, in-vestment, more profitable to the farmers far-mers than to any one else, demands some adequate returns in dividends. I believe siloing is one of the practicable practic-able solutions, and it is for that reason rea-son that this article is written. There are beet growing localities where a leeway exists in the growing season of from one to two months. Suppose, then, that an early planting is made, followed by subsequent plantings every two weeks or so ft late as possible, yet giving five months of the season ''or maturing. This would, if practiced on a large enough scale, give the factory an additional ad-ditional thirty days' campaign, in creasing its dividends and diminishing diminish-ing its profit and loss column. "While the United States Department of Agriculture Ag-riculture is endeavoring to bring into being what they will term an early maturing beet, too much dependence must not be placed on the result. At least partial success will be achieved in that direction, but the grower can easily., accomplish the same end through intermittent planting. This is especially feasible in irrigation districts, dis-tricts, where moisture conditions of the soil determine seeding or should be a. determinate factor. A's somewhat less important considerations, con-siderations, but each one worthy of application, I wish to call attention to some of the advantages of the silo, especially es-pecially as I have already enumerated the disadvantages. It will hasten the adoption of the sliding scale in payment for beets, on the ground that while these beets may suffer loss in weight, they will experience ex-perience no diminution in sugar content, con-tent, thus doing away with nil anxiety as to loss entailed by siloing. Delayed or late hauling will mean lower rntes for the work, as at the time of general harvest every one wants teams; later on team owners arc glad to get the work at a substantial substan-tial reduction. But few growers maintain sufficient teams to handle all the work of delivering beets. As spoken of in this department in the September issue, faulty determination determi-nation of the proper time' for harvest is often one of the druwbncks to for-(Continued for-(Continued on page 14.) |