CROP COMPOSITION 



225 



PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL SUGAR AND ACIDS IN DRY MATTER 



Cherries, peaches, and prunes contained most sugar 

 and least acids when receiving small irrigations. That is, 

 these fruits became more sour as more water was used, 

 On the other hand, plums', apples, grapes, loganberries 

 and strawberries became sweeter as the irrigation water 

 was increased. Much work is yet to be done before we 

 shall know the full truth regarding this matter. Mean- 

 while, from practical experience it is safe to predict that 

 it will be found that the moderate irrigation of fruit 

 orchards will produce the sweetest fruit. 



Investigations have been made, also, on the effect of 

 irrigation on the percentage of sugar hi sugar beets. Up 

 to a certain low limit the percentage of sugar increases 

 as irrigation increases. When excessively large quanti- 

 ties of water are used, there may be a decided increase in 

 sugar. With small and medium applications the differ- 

 ences in the percentages of sugar are relatively small. 

 This is shown in the following table, which contains 

 average results of many years' experimentation by the 

 Utah Station: 



