604 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



even the horses' feet make but little im- 

 pression upon it. 



Another important point in preparing 

 the ground for beets is to see that it is 

 properly leveled. A properly leveled field 

 can be irrigated much more quickly, 

 and, furthermore, if not properly leveled 

 there will be high spots where the beets 

 suffer from lack of sufficient moisture 

 and low spots where the plants are in- 

 jured by too heavy watering. 



Drainage 



At first thought, drainage in an ir- 

 rigated section of the country might 

 seem unnecessary, but experience has 

 shown that under certain conditions the 

 constant applications of water cause the 

 soil to become water-logged. 



There are two general systems of ar- 

 tificial drainage that may be used for 

 carrying off the excess of water or for 

 removing the excess of salts from the 

 soil, namely. (1) the open ditch and (2) 

 the blind ditch in which tile or a similar 

 conducting channel is used to aid the flow 

 of the water through the ground. The 

 blind ditch is most often used, and while 

 its initial cost is somewhat greater than 

 that of the open ditch it is more econ- 

 omical in the end, since it still allows the 

 use of the land and if properly construct- 

 ed does not require the expenditure of 

 time and labor necessitated by the open 

 ditch to keep it in working order. 



Irrigation 



The proper use of irrigating water is 

 one of the most important factors in the 

 growing of sugar beets under irrigation. 

 The time and method of application and 

 the quantity of water used are the es- 

 sential considerations in the irrigation 

 of sugar beets. In all irrigated sections 

 there is some precipitation in the form of 

 rain or snow, although this precipitation 

 is uncertain both as to time and amount. 

 However, it should always be conserved 

 and utilized to the fullest extent and the 

 irrigating water should be looked upon 

 as an insurance to carry the crop over 

 periods of drought. It is usual in some 

 localities to irrigate beets up; that is, the 

 seed is planted in dry ground and the field 

 is then flooded in order to germinate the 



seed. This is a poor practice and should 

 be avoided whenever possible, especial- 

 ly in fields in which the soil has a tend- 

 ency to form a crust. It is much more 

 satisfactory to irrigate before planting 

 If enough natural moisture can not be re- 

 tained in the soil to produce germina- 

 tion. 



In irrigating before germination it is 

 generally best to corrugate the land, mak- 

 ing the corrugations 5 or 6 inches deep 

 and about 20 inches apart. The water 

 should then be run into the corrugations 

 until the ground is thoroughly wet. As 

 soon as the surface of the ground is suf- 

 ficiently dry to work it should be harrow- 

 ed down and planted. Whether the germ- 

 ination is produced by the moisture 

 already in the soil or whether it is pro- 

 duced by irrigation, the plants should 

 be carried just as long as possible after 

 they are up before they are watered. The 

 object in withholding the water as long 

 as possible is to produce long roots, since 

 long roots are essentia! for a good ton- 

 nage. 



In watering beets after they are up they 

 should never be flooded, but should be 

 watered in furrows between the rows. 

 This is especially important while the 

 beets are small, since flooding at that 

 time is likely to scald the beet stems 

 and to produce a crust on the surface of 

 the ground. Usually suitable furrows 

 between the beet rows can be made by 

 means of irrigating shovels, which may 

 be attached to the cultivator. If the fur- 

 rows made in this manner are not deep 

 enough and smooth enough to carry the 

 water readily, which will depend upon 

 the slope of the land and the nature of 

 the soil, they should be logged out. This 

 can be done by running the corrugators 

 behind the cultivator. The same imple- 

 ment can be used to prepare the ground 

 for watering before planting and after 

 the beets are up. 



After the furrows are properly prepared, 

 the water should be allowed to run slow- 

 ly through them, so that they will not 

 overflow and so that the ground will be 

 thoroughly wet down and the water seep 

 out to the beets. After each watering the 



