SUGAR BEETS, POTATOES, ETC. 



297 



crop show that carrots are subject to the laws that prevail 

 with other crops. As shown in the following table, when 

 the water applied increased from 3J4 inches to 60 inches, 

 the total yield increased only from 7.3 tons to 34.2 tons 

 per acre; the yield per inch of irrigation water diminished 

 from 4.35 tons to 0.57. However, carrots seemed to 

 respond more readily than did sugar beets to large quan- 

 tities of water. The total quantity of water to be used 

 throughout the season is about the same as that recom- 

 mended for sugar beets. 



TOTAL YIELD OF CARROTS WITH VARYING QUANTITIES OF 

 IRRIGATION WATER 



179. Other root crops. Root crops are becoming of 

 greater importance as the live-stock business increases. 

 Turnips, beets, mangels, parsnips, radishes and all similar 

 crops, when grown as field crops, may be treated practi- 

 cally as sugar beets and carrots. When grown in gardens 

 they are sown more closely, and the water requirements 

 are somewhat higher. They are always irrigated in fur- 

 rows and precautions are taken not to bring water in actual 

 contact with the growing plant, especially during hot 

 weather. Beets are usually irrigated every two weeks; 

 radishes and early spring crops require little total water, 

 but most of it very early; turnips get along with little 



