Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-11-15
POINTERS
ON BEETS
SLIDING Tests and Seed Prop.
ogation Under Study
CAREFUL EXPERT.
MENTAL TESTS
At the Colorado Agricultural College
Demonstrates that Too Much
Water Is Used

shows an almost universally smaller
beet and the tonnage per acre has
run shy. a number OF reasons have
been suggested. and among them 4
change in the variety OF seed supplied
by the factories. However this may
he the results obtained this year from
the beet tract of the State Agriculture
nj College. which is better than last
year. may have some useful sugges-
tions for growers ON the subject OF
tonnage.
Fifteen to IS 81 tons per acre is
the yield obtained from the CollcSe
ground this year. Tie maximum last
year was 81 tons. The average per
acre tonnage instead OF being less is
considerably greater. But the prin-
cipal point brought ont by college
experiments this year is this. as sat
cd hy Prof. Fritz knorr:
The farmers use too much water.
Our iiitecu-ton yield was produced
without irrigation. The best yield.
water. Many growers irrigite four
times: this Is too much. IL causes
the beets TO run to tops and makes
the yield lighter.
Far too much water Is used by the
average farmer. ! ann satisfied that.
with \ more juhirious use OF the wat
or. many acres more could be brought
under irrigation without increasing
the water supply
All crops on the experimental farm
arc carefully cultivated and another
factor in increasing. especially the
beet yield is winter irrigation. This
puts the ground in condition for
planting and makes !, richer in plant
a. .t. q. Iii
TO freeze dry.
Tests OF the college bcc,s show the
sugar con;cn; TO vary from 10, to
to.5 on composite samples. What
the sugar factory tests show Is not
given out, so ,ha, no comparison can
be made. Samples will be secured
from growers later on. so that the
college can get information from 9th
or fields than its own. These tests
are valuable data in the development
of the ideal sugar beet which will be
bred on the college farm.
The above reference to the excess
i've use OF water by beet growers
suggests the reproduction of part
of an article by Prof. Budnm. OF the
College faculty, on the importance
and reasons for fall and winter piow-
ing. He says:
Fall blowing has two great advan-
tagcs over any other method. First.
the storing of moisture is of dcciici
benefit. while the availability OF plan;
food is directly promoted. II land IS
piowcd in the fall, considerable pul-
vcrizatipn takes place during the win
ter months: and it is also 10 be re-
mcmbcred that by this plan freedom
from weeds is usually assured. The
weed seeds frequently take root or
at least germinatc in the fall immcd-
lately after being deposited, and I'M
less some measures OF prccaution are
taken. weed growths will prcccdc the
appearance OF the young bects in the
spring. thci after perhaps becoming
chokcd before the soil can be manip-
ulated to remove the pest. Fall plow-
ing is almost essential wherever
freezing takes place.
The user of irrigation is most like
ly of all beet farmers TO become de-
rclict in this matter. Water is al-
WAYS on tap. procured byt he raising
OF a gate. and he consoles himself
with the assurance that If moisture
be needed. he can secure it easily
enough. But winters rains and win
tcr's snow will achieve what he can
not achieve artifcially save at the
risk OF OVERRIDING iLc matter to the
dctrimcnt OF his bccts when cndcav-
oring to food the soil in springtimc.
IL is essential that water be stored
in the sub soil before the seed "a
placed in the ground. To cndeavor
to ret this water in sufficient GUAM
ti'v down where II belongs in one or
two applications in early spring Is to
flood your soil SO that il cannot be-
"''rtgi for timely preparation Of the
seed bed.
Plow dccrl s7vs Mr.. Ruffum Re-
gard the fact that tho top root of the
beet strikes deep down, provided YOU
have produced u soft sub soil wI-h
that end in view. Shallow rlowinE
produces scr7wny. scrawglv roots low
In srg1r, short in tonnage, aud beng
irregular in shape, costly to haul be-
cause OF the unnccr sary SPACE. thG,y
orruHy. In this blowing yor Should
Ian 10 80 from one to two inches
deeper th7n last year. so as TO turn
~ some new soil Ten inches. may
be regarded as normal depth, while Il
generous foot is none too deep.
* very good suggestion is oitereI
regarding fertilization. VI your soil
be lacking in humus. ten to twelve
io7ds per acre Of well ro'tcd m7nnfc
viii rrove Of great hcucft il applied
at the time of plowing.
Another important feature Of the
,beet growing industry Is successful
siloinu. and along this line tho col
lcgc is doing some interesting cXncr-
mental work. The Fort Collins
Courier reports an interview with
Prof Knorr on this subject:
Prof. Knorr was found at the farm.
Il