192 THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



not apparently recover vigor with the approach of the cool of evening. This is the time 

 to consider the question of applying irrigation. 



"We have noticed two methods of irrigating beets, either of which seems to accom- 

 plish the work successfully. One of them is to plant the beets in rows, say, from 18 to 

 20 inches apart, and then when it is desirable to turn on the water, a small furrow is run 

 between every other row by the use of an implement made for this purpose. The water 

 is then turned on and allowed to trickle down these furrows. This causes the water to 

 pass down on one side of every row in the field, and leaves the space between every other 

 row that is not so furrowed. When it becomes necessary to apply water again, a furrow is 

 made between the rows not furrowed before, the former furrow having been leveled up 

 by cultivation. 



"The second plan is to plant the first two rows the usual width apart, say, from 

 14 to 20 inches, and then the next space between the other two rows will be considerably 

 wider, say, up to 26 inches apart. This wider space is entirely for the purpose of having 

 an irrigating furrow, which is made in a similar maner to the one described above, the 

 wider space occurring between every couplet of rows. In either case, water can be held 

 in these furrows by throwing a shovelful or two of dirt into the furrow in front of the 

 water until the ground becomes thoroughly saturated around the beets, and then the 

 obstruction is removed, and continued down the furrow. Of course the supply furrows are 

 conducted along the higher places and the cross furrows arranged in such a way that all 

 parts of the field are reached. This simply suggests that the grower, in the application 

 of water by irrigation, must thoroughly understand the science of economically distrib- 

 uting the water in the field, which is a question too broad to be entered into here, but by 

 experience the farmer becomes more or less adept. 



"In regions where the beets are started in the spring with moisture from rainfall, 

 it is the aim of the grower to produce his crop with four or five irrigations of the beets. 

 After they begin to ripen, all irrigation must cease, for the same reason that it is not 

 desirable to have a rainfall after the beets are ripe." 



MORE ABOUT BEET PULP. 



American farmers are slowly but surely learning to appreciate the great value of 

 beet pulp for stock feeding. Two years have added much to the stock of experience cited 

 on Pages 108-112. Mr. Saylor found by inquiring of many who had had extensive experience 

 in feeding pulp to cattle general agreement on these points: Pulp feeding aids the work 

 of digestion; the same amount of feed adds more fat and flesh to the animal; an animal 

 will be prepared for the market six weeks earlier, showing a wonderful economy of time 

 and feed. He obtained the following detailed report from John Reimers of the Grand 

 Island (Neb.) Live Stock and Commission Company, who has had long experience in 

 feeding pulp on a large scale: 



"I consider it a valuable food in connection with grain and other feed, as it is a 

 great digestive food and appetizer. It has some fattening qualities, but I do not depend 

 on it for that purpose, but mainly to digest the other foods. 



"When I begin feeding cattle. I use for the first few days from 20 to 25 Ibs. of pulp 

 per head daily, with hay and a little grain or meal mixed with it. Then increase gradually 

 to 40 or 50 Ibs. per head. I have also tried 80 to 90 Ibs. per head, but am positive that 

 this is of disadvantage in fattening cattle, as they eat less grain and meal. Too much 

 pulp is inclined to be loosening. Cattle can be put on full feed of grain much quicker 

 with pulp, as it helps to digest this food and lessens the danger of overfeeding or get- 

 ting the cattle stalled and foundered. 



"After feeding from 90 to 100 days, I would advise going back gradually to 20 and 

 25 Ibs. of pulp per day, and increasing the grain food, of which each feeder must judge for 

 himself the amount his cattle can stand. Cattle eat as much grain per day with the lim- 

 ited amount of pulp as they do without it, but this food in connection produces flesh more 

 rapidly, and thereby shortens the feeding season. 



"I find it better to feed ground feed with pulp rather than whole grain, but the 

 pulp is beneficial with any kind of food. I have found, when feeding pulp with the same 

 amount of roughness and gr^in that generally is required in the west to fatten cattle, 

 that I could put on an extra gain of from 50 to 75 Ibs. per head, or I can make the same 

 amount of gain as I obtain in the ordinary way of feeding in three-fourths of the time, 



