THE BEET-SUGAR, INDUSTRY IjST 1920. 19 



WATER. 



Excess or deficiency of water may be a limiting factor in sugar-beet 

 production. 



Precipitation. — In the humid sections of the sugar-beet area beet 

 growers depend upon rainfall and snow for the necessary supply of 

 soil moisture. Usually the snow and the spring rains put the soil 

 in good condition for planting, and the summer rains keep the crops 

 growing until the end of the season. Whether the precipitation will 

 furnish an excessive amount of moisture for the soil will depend upon 

 soil conditions, as well as upon the amount of precipitation. For 

 uniform soil conditions, however, the right amount of precipitation 

 is of vital importance in the growing of sugar beets. Excessive pre- 

 cipitation may be detrimental in two ways: (1) By preventing a 

 proper preparation of the seed bed, and (2) by saturating the soil 

 to such an extent that the air is excluded from the plant roots and 

 the proper growth of the plants thereby prevented. A deficiency of 

 precipitation may make a proper preparation of the seed bed im- 

 possible, or it may put the seed bed in such condition that the ger- 

 mination of the seed or the subsequent growth of the plants may be 

 impaired. Excessive precipitation may be remedied under certain 

 conditions by a proper system of drainage. (See pages 22 to 24.) 

 The lack of moisture may be remedied in part (1) by putting the 

 proposed seed bed in a proper condition to catch and hold the fall 

 and winter moisture ; (2) by subsequent cultivation whereby a mulch 

 is formed on the surface of the field, thereby retarding evaporation ; 

 and (3) by supplying the soil with a suitable amount of humus. 



Irrigation. — The use of irrigating water is theoretically simple, 

 but its practical application is very complex, calling for a knowledge 

 of plant growth and soil requirements based upon experience and 

 good judgment. It is one of the most important factors in sugar- 

 beet production in the semiarid regions. Good crops are sometimes 

 ruined by a lack of knowledge of the water requirements of plants 

 and by want of experience in applying the water. 



There are four sources from which irrigating water may be ob- 

 tained, namely, from reservoirs, direct from streams, from flowing- 

 wells, and by pumping. A reservoir is a storage place in which an 

 excess of water due to melting snows or from other sources may be 

 stored for future use. Stream irrigation implies either a continuous 

 or an intermittent flow of water in a river bed which may be drawn 

 upon when needed. Pump irrigation is practicable when the sub- 

 surface water is present in sufficient quantity and at a depth shallow 

 enough to supply the necessary water for crop production at a reason- 

 able cost. 



