244 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. IV. No. 3 



The months of July and August were very dry, thereby making it pos- 

 sible to maintain the desired moisture conditions in both the wet and the 

 dry plots. The rainfall in inches from June 15 to September 15 is given 

 in Table III. 



Table III. — Record of rainfall at Huntley, Mont., from June i§ to Sept. 15, 1914 



The sugar beets were grown according to ordinary' practice, except 

 in the matter of irrigation. Three plots were irrigated, for the purpose 

 of keeping the soil fairly moist at all times. To accomplish this, water 

 was applied five times: July 3, July 10, July 18, July 30, and August 24. 

 Cultivations were given as follows: June 10, June 20, July 16, and July 

 25. Alternating with these plots were three which were allowed to 

 become quite dry between irrigations; however, they suffered no more 

 from lack of moisture than do many beets grown under ordinary farm 

 practice. The dry plots were irrigated twice: July 22 and August 20. 

 Cultivations were given on June 10 and July 2. 



Beginning on September 17 each beet was examined for root lice and 

 its condition recorded as it was pulled from the ground. Beets bearing 

 from I to approximately 25 lice were classed as "slightly infested " ; beets 

 more than shghtly infested but having no more than half of their surface 

 covered with root lice and their waxy secretions were classed as ' ' badly 

 infested"; beets more than half covered were classed as "very badly 

 infested." Badly and very badly infested sugar beets were considered 

 as injuriously infested. A record was also made of the sugar content 

 and the yield in pounds. The sugar analyses were obtained from samples 

 sent to the factory according to the routine method. 



The combined results from the six plots are given in Table IV. 



At har\'est time there was little difference in the appearance of the 

 beet foliage on the various plots, and one not familiar with the experi- 

 ment could not have distinguished between the plots which received five 

 irrigations and those that received only two. However, an examination 

 of the roots showed a considerable difference in the percentage of beets 

 infested, as well as a difference in sugar content and weight. Under the 

 drier conditions the infestation was 64.7 per cent, while where the soil 



