The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-11-30
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 saus'
factory results in growing sugar peets.
Il of course requires almost perfect
preparation of the land, but the re-
cults are satisfactory. One advantage
Of this system is the ease with wnlcn
the water applied can be kept from
touching the plants and thus forming
. crust of earth around them. Inc
ideal condition is brought ABOUT ny
the maintenance of continuous gooo
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 III
the furrow into a finely divided con-
dition. says the Denver Field ana
Farm. Furthermore, the furrow sys-
TEN leaves the surface In condition
Tor 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 ana
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 IL
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-
rows. since all burrows are thrown IN
the same direction. This pillow is =
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
plow is thrown out of the ground anG
reversed by means of handles at the
back and when the implement Is turn
ed around the other pillow throws thu
burrows in the same direction as the
rrevious furrow.
Another type accomplishing thu
same purpose consists of sulk!
frame carrying right and left plow'
with levers for raising and lowering
them so that either one can be hell
out of the ground while the other on
Is in use. The balance pillow consist
of one or several plows in gang
fastened in two frames, which are Sc
at an angle Of 1876 degrees to one ar
other, the axle and wheels being a
the angle. One frame contains righ
hand and the other left-hand plows
The drawbars at the ends are joine
by means of a heavy round steel 70
and loose ring connects the team
the drawbar. When the end of tn
field is reached the team is swun
around on the unplowed ground an
the ring travels from one drawbar t
the other by way Of the rod. AS tn
plow starts up it pulls one pillow OF
and the other into the ground, thu
obviating the necessity of THROWN
the pillow out as in the reversible.