Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-02-01
IRRIGATION AND FERTILITY AS
AFFECTING SUGAR CONTENT.
ny z. X. ni.INN.

The subject OF beet culture ON arid
land under irrigation u really IN its
infancy. and owing To our vnried soil
and climatic conditions II may require
several years OF careful observation
and cNpcrIcncc so establish some I'M
portant facts. Just how and when ir-
rigntion will vary the tonnage nnd
sugar content and to what degree fer.
tility effects the same ends are lic~'
ilons that have had various answers
during the past years experience ana
each succeeding year Will add Its spc-
cial features OF variation until We
can compile the cmpcricnl facts OF beet
culture.
Al present we may relate our last
seasons experience ana that OF beet
| growers OF other sections anj profit
much by the conclusions we may draw.
The caution made by the beet com.
pany To the growers to delay the Hrs;
| irrigation until the b,cts were well cs-
iabiishci aud were really In need Of
moisture il perhaps the first impor'
,ant point in affecting tonnage and
sugar content. The wisdom Of the In.
riruc,ion was cmphaticaiiy demon
s,raicti In last years crop. The only
| exceptions OF good results was where
the delay was made too long to meet
the opportunity to irrigni. when the
water was In the bitches.
The next important factor In affect
Ing the yield OF sugar IL the manner
OF applying irrigation. Intelligent. uni
| form and careful work In applying wa
ter IL rs evident In the returns Of u lr.ct
crop ~ from cnn'nloupc-, AMI no grow.
cr should expect his hes; returns when
u portion Of his crop Is dried out.
/ tt,.t .tts pr Irnktu,sI
| The number OF irrlgaiions needed for
u crop Of bccts TO make the highest rc-
turns H. hard to- determine. owing io
various conditions that enter Into the
problem. There u strong evidence
/ from lasi seasons results that more
water can he applied much later IN tile
season and greatly benefit the tonnage
with no material loss in sugar content.
| although next seasons conditions may
reverse the experience.
The early ripcning and high tests Of
ovcr-wnicrcd bccts seem to indicate
that there IN n possibility OF the ripcn.
ing stage being produced by the appli.
cation nf the proper time of water. as
well rs the natural course OF q long
dry spell nj the close Of the growing
season.
Irrigation plays nn important part
In the yield of crop of bccts. yet ul-
timatcly the question OF fertility II the
vital issue when we consider the cS-
hausting effect on the soil OF crop OF
fifteen tons Of bccts per acre. One au.
thority compares 1t with a yield OF thir-
ty bushels OF wheat per acre. and
claims that bccts take from the soil
onc-fourth more nitrogen. onc-fourth
more phosphoric acid and three and
onc-half times as much potash. 1t can
readily been seen that unless fertility
IL applied by crop rotation. or other
wise. the profits In beet growing will he
OF short duration.
That fertility materially affects the
tonnage and sugar content was very
evident from the large returns from al.
falfn land. or wherever fertility had
been sustained: on the other hand. a
low and Improbable yield from worn.
out land.
! Our soils are naturally rich In the
mineral elements that enter the
| plants; also this class OF fertility tx
continually being added by the waters
of irrigation. But In the matter of nj.
trogen we are sorcly in need. Arid lands
from the natural lack OF vegetable
growth are invariably short In nitro.
gen. and II Is from this point that
| needs to concern our attention mt prcs-
cnt. Proper crop rotation is the cS-
sencc OF scientific farming. and there
Is no supply Of nitrogen more cconomi.
cal than that from lcguminous crops.
like alfalfa. II were to choose an
ideal piece of land for. as So fertility,
bects, 1t would he on alfalfa sod after
1t had grown one crop of melons or
some hocd crop that would insure
thorough cultivation and the decay of
alfalfa roots and crowns. Alfalfn is
most uniquely adapted to our condi.
| 'lons Tor one of the principal crops
OF rotation. 1t is really the basis of
| the fertility OF our lands.
| THE FARMER TO THE SIfCAp
MANUFACTURER