The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-03-13

to be injurious to sugar beets when
the plantlets are just breaking
through the ground. At this period
the young plants are very tender and
susceptible to injury by frost, but
after the roots are established in the
soil they rapidly become hardy and
desistant to frost to a marked de-
gree. Since the time of killing frosts
varies from year to year in the same
territory it is not always possible to
avoid injury from this cause A kill
ing frost when the beets are coming
up does not destroy the chance for
successful beet crop, but it often
necessitates the expense and labor of
replanting. 1t is therefore wise to
delay the planting until the ground
is warm and the growing conditions
are otherwise favorable, since such
conditions will rapidly push the beets
beyound the period of frost injury.
When the beets are mature they will
stand severe freeze without injury.
The great danger from low tempera-
lures at the end of the growing sea-
son is that the beets may be frozen
in the ground, making the harvesting
of the crop difficult or even impos
sble. To avoid this danger and the
consequent loss that might result
from such condition it is advisable
to get the beets out of the ground
as soon as possible after they are ripe
and to cover them to avoid freezing
or drying. Apparently beet roots are
not injured for sugar-making pur-
poses by freezing, provided that they
freeze and remain frozen until they
are put through the mill, but alter
nate freezing and thaWing causes
them to decay and blacken, so that
their value for sugar making is ma
terially decreased.
Winds are briefly mentioned in con-
nection with soil selection for sugar
beets, but they have still wider
bearing upon crop conditions. Not
only do high winds have a tendency
to destroy young beets and other
plants by cutting and burying them
with shifting sands, but they have a
marked influence upon the amount
of evaporation from the soil.d For
this reason a given amount of mois-
ture in locality where hots dry
winds prevail during the spring is
much less effective in crop production
than would be the same amount of
moisture in a locality where such
winds do not prevail, other conditions
being the same. "a
However, the injurious effects of
winds may be overcome to a. great
extent by the use of proper cultural
methods. For example, both the
blowing of the soil and the excessive
evaporation may often be reduced to
the point of successful crop produc-
ton by keeping the surface of the
ground covered with lump mulch.
The mulch retards the evaporation,
while it's lumpy condition reduces the
shifting of the soil. The cutting ac-1
ton of the shifting sand may be con-
trolled by planting the beet rows at
right angles to the direction of the
winds when practicable
and by attaching irrigating shovels
to the drills, so that ridges. capable
of protecting the young plants will
be thrown up between the rows at
planting time. 1t is true the slope
of the land and the consequent direc-
ton of irrigation must also be con-
sidered in planting the beets, but
whenever practicable the rows should
be at right angles to the direction
of the prevailing winds.
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