Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1911-11-23
SUGAR BEET CULTURE
FurroW Method of irrigation
Gives Best Results.
One Advantage of System Is Ease
With Which Water Can Be APP
piled Without Touching Plants
and Avoid Crust Forming.

The furrow method of irrigation
without doubt gives the most satls-
factory results in growing sugar Deets.
1t of course requires almost perfect
preparation of the land, but the re-
cults are satisfactory. One advantage
of this system is the ease with which
the water applied can be kept from
touching the plants and thus forming
crust of earth around them. The
Ideal condition is brought about by
the maintenance Of continuous goou
mulch near to the plants so as 10
prevent evaporation from the soil sur
face and by cultivation after irrlga-
ton to break up the wetted area IN
the furrow into a finely divided con-
dition, says the Denver Field and
Farm. Furthermore, the furrow sys-
TEN leaves the surface in condition
for any other crop which may be USED
in rotation.
Down in New Mexico and all over
California the check and border sys-
TENS are practiced, but they are not
desirable for they interfere more or
less with the planting, working and
| harvesting of the beets. Besides this
the beets are in danger of drowning
out by careless application OF water
and considerable waste ground Is
to occur in the field In preparing for
irrigation by burrows the surface
must have a uniform slope throughout
so that water may run through with
out interruption. On lands which are
fairly level a leveler or float Is the
most common implement used. The
land should be first plowed in lands
to a depth of eight or ten inches.
Flowing around a field should always
be avoided and all dead burrows
should be eliminated so far as pos.
sible by back furrowing into them
several times.
The lands should therefore be OF
considerable width. even If time is
lost at the turns. In this connection
1t may be we'll to speak of type OF
plow which is coming largely into
favor in many of the beet growing
sections and which does away en-
tirely with both back and dead fur
rows, since all burrows are thrown II
the same direction. This pillow is s
sulky and is made In two types, called
reversible and left-hand plows set op
posite each other on a beam. Wher
the end of the field is reached the
! pillow is thrown out of the ground anc
reversed by means of handles at the
back and when the implement is turn
, ed around the other pillow throws the
: burrows in the same direction as the
J previous furrow.
Another type accomplishing the
same purpose consists of a sulk,
frame carrying right and left pillow!
with levers for raising and lowering
them so that either one can be helC
out of the ground while the other on,
Is in use. The balance pillow consists
of one or several plows in gang
: fastened in two frames, which are Sc
at an angle of 1875 degrees to one an
} other the axle and wheels being a
the angle. One frame contains right
hand and the other left-hand plows
The drawbars at the ends are joinet
! by means of a heavy round steel 70,
and a loose ring connects the team t,
/ the drawbar. When the end of tn,
/ field is reached the team is swuni
! around on the unplowed ground an,
| the ring travels from one drawbar 4
I the other by way of the rod. AS tn
pillow starts up it pulls one pillow GU
and the other into the ground, thu
obviating the necessity of throwing
the pillow out as in the reversible.