The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-09
SUGAR BEET SUBJECT
Of A NEW BULLETIN
Department of Agriculture Is
sues Instructions on Plant.
ing and Care.
FOR IRRIGATED LANDS.
Covers Conditions to Be Con.
sidered in Western Por.
ton of Country.
FOR IRRIGATED LANDS

Methods of culture for the sugar
western portions of the United States
are dealt with in the department of ag-
riculturc S new bulletin, ''Sugar Beet
Growing Under Irrigation This is
the second bulletin OF interest to sugar
beet growers which has been issued re-
Gently. The other was entitled ''Su.
gar Beet Growing Under Humid Con.
ditions, and was of interest more par.
ticularly 10 the northern portions of our
country, where most of the present su.
gar beet crop is grown.
While there is a feeling of safety in
having An unlimited supply of water
for irrigation purposes, it must always
oc remembered that irrigation costs
money and labor, says the govern.
meDt Investigator. Such precipita-
ton of moisture then. az there is in
locality should not be permitted 10 es-
cape from the soil with the idea that
more water can always be applied when
needed. All moisture that falls upon
the ground and is received and retained
by the soil acts upon the plant foods
day after day and accomplishcs most
Tor plant growth. Precipitation is ma
ture s gift. and should never be de-
spiscd- The ground in irrigated sections
where the sugar beet plant is grown
should be plowed to a good depth in
the fall and every effort made to re.
tam the moisture in tho soil from the
time the previous crop is harvested I'M
III the beet crop is laid by.
Soil Conditions.
Much depends upon the condition of
the soil as 10 whether or not il is able
10 receive and retain the moisture. A
large number of showers may show sew
eral inches of rainfall in the aggregate. |
and yet thcv may have accomplished |
little, II any, good so far as crop pro. |
ducuon is concerned, because they |
ia!ied 10 moisten the ground TO sur |
hcIent depth. On the other hand, one
or moro heavy, dashinp rains may show |
n satisfactory total rainfall for the sea-
son aud at the same time be entirely |
from the standpoint OF
crop production. Indeed. such rains
may be moro Injurious than beneficial, |
because OF packing and crusting the |
ground. a record of the total rainfall |
for season, or even month by month,
rs OF little value unless we know the
nature and amount Of each precipita.
tiou. The point of most vital impor.
tancc is TO have the ground in co6di-
ton 70 receive as much as possible of |
tue moisture tnat Ialts upon ~ and then
to make every effort to retain that
in the soil.
Other points to be considered by
growers of sugar beets under irrigation
are the following:
Sugar beet soil should be selected
with reference to its fertility, its phys
zeal condition, its previous cropping.
and its ability to be properly drained
and irrigated.
The seed and root beds should be so
that they will be fine, firm,
moist and well aerated with a suffi
cieutly lumpy mulch on the surface to
prevent blowing.
Beet ground should never he flooded
after the seed Is planted.
The soil should be well supplied with
humus.
Beet seed should be planted in moist
soil, but not more than one and one
half inches deep.