150 AGRICULTURE 



common crops. New soil, so favorable for most crops, is 

 not so good as cropped soil for sugar beets, especially if 

 the soil contains much decaying vegetable matter. Beets 

 are a good reclaimer of run-down soils, and may some- 

 times be used to help improve worn out or depleted land. 



Climate and moisture. As far as temperature alone 

 is concerned, regions having an average of 70 Fahrenheit 

 for June, July and August are most favorable for sugar 

 beets. 



Sugar beets require a fair amount of moisture. This 

 may be provided (1) by rainfall averaging from two to 

 four inches per month during the growing season; (2) by 

 irrigation; or (3) by sub-surface water seeping upward to 

 the roots through soil of such a nature as to favor this 

 method of irrigation. 



Sugar beets on irrigated land. No more favorable 

 conditions for raising sugar beets can be found than on 

 the irrigated lands of the West. Nor can a more profitable 

 crop be discovered for many semi-arid regions than beets. 

 It has been estimated that one million acres of western 

 irrigated land devoted to the raising of sugar beets under 

 intensive cultivation would increase our sugar crop to such 

 an extent that we could raise all we need instead of only 

 twenty-five per cent, of it. 



Raising the crop. Special methods are required for 

 the successful raising of sugar beets. The ground ^should 

 be plowed not less than nine inches deep. The plow should 

 be followed furrow by furrow with a subsoiler, loosening 

 the soil to a depth of six or eight inches and more if possi- 

 ble. The weeds must be kept down, as beets are not good 

 fighters of such enemies. Frequent cultivation is required 

 to maintain a loose soil and a fine mulch for the preserva- 

 tion of moisture. 



