Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1914-03-13

in the central, western and south
western portions of the United
States are dealt with in the depart
ment OF agriculture's new bulletin
Sugar Beet Growing Under lrriga-
ton" This is the second bulletin
OF interest to sugar beet growers
which has been issued recently. The
other was entitled, Sugar Beet Grow
ing Under Humid Conditions" and
was of interest more particularly to
the northern portion of our country,
where most OF the present sugar beet
crop is grown.
While there is feeling of safety
in having an unlimited supply OF
water for irrigation purposes, it must
always be remembered that irrigation
costs money and labor, says the gov
ernment's Investigator. Such precipi-
tation of moisture then. as there is in
a locality should not be permitted to
escape from the soil with the idea
that more water can always be ap-
piled 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
accomplishes most for plant growth:
Precipitation is natures gift. and
should never be despised. The ground
in irrigated sections where the sugar
beet plant is grown should be plowed
to good depth in the fall and every
effort made to retain the moisture in
the soil from the time the previous
crop is harvested until the beet crop
is laid by.
Much depends upon the condition
of the soil as to whether or not it
is able to receive and retain the mois-
ture. \ large number of showers
may show several inches of rainfall
in the aggregate, and yet they may
have accomplished little. if any, good
so far as crop production is con-
cerncd. because they failed to moisten
the ground to 4 sufficient depth. On
the other hand. one or more heavy,
dashing rains may show satisfac-
tory total rainfall for the season and
at the same time be entirely unsat-
isfactory from the standpoint of
crop production. Indeed. such rains
may be more injurious than bene-
fetal. because OF packing and crust
| ing the ground. A record OF the total
| rainfall for season. or even month
by month, is of little value unless we
know the nature and amount of each
precipitation. The point of most vi
tai importance is to have the ground
in condition to receive as much as
possible OF the moisture that falls
upon it and then to make every ef
fort to retain that moisture in the
soil.
Other points to be considered by
growers OF sugar bects under irriga-
tion are the following:
Sugar beet soil should be selected
with reference to its fertility. its
4. -
ping. and its ability to be properly
drained and irrigated.
The seed and root beds should be
so prepared that they will he fine.
firm. moist. and well aerated. with a
sufficiently lumpy mulch on the SUR
face TO prevent blowing.
Beet ground should never be flood
ed 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 ~
inches deep.
Beets should be spaced and thinned
just as soon as they are large enough
to handle.
Beets should be cultivated and hoed
often enough 10 destroy all weeds
and to keep the entire surface OF
Bects should always be rotated
with other crops in order to keep
the soil in good tilth and free from
pests.
Live stock. especially dairy cows.
should always be found on beet
farms.
The by-products OF the sugar beet
and OF the sugar mill are worthy OF
careful attention. These are des-
cribed in detail in both the newly is
sued bulletins on the sugar beet.
Temperature and Winds Must Be
Considered.
Besides the precipitation, two inn
portant climatic factors to be con-
sidered are the temperature and
winds. Both high and low tempera-
growth or quality of the beets. a
study of the most successful sugar
beet localities of the world leads to
the conclusion that beets of the best
quality cannot be grown where the
average temperature for the growing
season is much above 20 degrees i.
This does not mean that sugar beets
can not be successfully grown in
warm countries or in warm sections
of country. but it does mean that
in such localities beets should be pro-
duced during the cooler portion OF
the year. which is now done success
fully in certain portions of our own
country. 1t is possible that beets
adapted to higher temperatures may
be produced by selection and breed
ing. and in this way the present large
sugar beet territory in the United
States may be greatly increased.
Low temperatures are most likely
to be injurious to sugar beets when
the plantlets are just breaking
through the ground. At this period