The Parker post. (Parker, Ariz.) 1910-1918, 1912-07-06
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'
It 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
a crust of earth around them. Inc
ideal condition is brought about Dy
the maintenance of a continuous good
mulch near to the plants so as W
prevent evaporation from the SOIL sur
face and by cultivation after 1rrlga-
ton to break up the wetted area III
the furroW into a finely divided con
dition, says the Denver Field anu
Farm. Furthermore, the furrow sys-
TEN leaves the surface in condltloh
for any other crop which may be useu
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 TOT
irrigation by burrows the surface
must have 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 lncnes.
Flowing around 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
it may be well to speak of a type OF
pillow 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 In
the same direction. This pillow is a
sulky and is made in two types, called
reversible and left-hand plows set OPP
posite each other on beam. When
the end of the field is reached the
pillow is thrown out of the ground and
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
previous furrow.
Another type accomplishing the
same purpose consists of a sulky
frame carrying right and left plows
with levers for raising and lowering
them so that either one can be held
out of the ground while the other one
is in use. The balance pillow consists
of one or several plows in gangs
fastened in two frames, which are set
at an angle of 1876 degrees to one an
other, the axle and wheels being at
the angle. One frame contains right
hand and the other lefthand plows
: The drawbars at the ends are joined
by means of a heavy round steel rod
and loose ring connects the team to
the drawbar. When the end of the
field is reached the team is swung
around on the unplowed ground and
the ring travels from one drawbar to
the other by way of the rod AS the
pillow starts up it pulls one pillow out
and the other into the ground, thus
obviating the necessity of throwing
the pillow out as in the reversible