Show ROOTS OF THE SUGAR BEETS one great lesson to be learned it Is more moro and better cultivation cult aaion deep at first last year we began to investigate the root system of sugar beets believing that by eo so doing we could more nearly come to some borne conclusion conclusions as to the methods of cultivation As eoon soon as thu small beet appears a above the ground the top root has attained a length of three to four inches from thia this time on the grow growth la 13 very rapid plants one we old have elde side roots two inches in length the top root grows downward d con corl unless it meets with some so me ob in that case it will either elther grow sideways or become a very much rooted plant it munt allt be borne in mind that the main root op or heel heet cannot draw any nourishment I 1 from the soil this bupt mw t naturally be done by the small or fibrous roots ro that are found on both eldea side of the beet As we pull the beets we find the fibrous roots very short abort on the main root it was found founds however thai that these small roots at the time the beets are seven to eight weeks old run as far aa as 15 to 18 inches into in to the rows thus we found t that h at by culli bating the beets too deep after the seventh week we destroy a great deal of the root rout system of the plant the mail mat t root or beet itself appear appears to bae hake attained nearly all ot of its down ward growth by the eighth week that Is after that time the growth grow th in I 1 n length Is very alow slow whereas the ex or widening out of the root takes place in many instances where we cut the main or top root of a email small beet of two and three weeks of age the plant made but very blow slow growth after such cutting or died entirely where the same operation of was performed on old er plants no serious results were noticed this in a manner proved that during the early period of the plant plants life the top root ie fit the root that aids largely in supplying the necessary food after a certain period this tune tion Is lost and the duties of support ing the plant falls upon the fibrous roots to cultivate properly we should is d stroy as few roots as this thea theu means deep cultivation la in the ev beerly aly stages of the beets growth tor for of loosening the soil and a gad ial shallow cultivation toward tate later part of the season wo we have often seen fields where farmers irrigate in order to keep from cultivating there Is a great difference between the two to cultivation Is cot for the sole purpose of destroying weeds but to loosen the soil so that the be roots may penetrate it more easil easily alid to get air into it by irrigating lz we ob tain just the opposite of that which w we ich Is desired we pack the t he soil ante shut the air from the roots the one great lesson that we must learn more thoroughly than all else in beet alture Is moe mo e and better culli bit not tio late in the season as then we break too many leaves from the plants and this Is detrimental for tho the best beet results |