GROWING FIELD CROPS IN SUGAR-BEET DISTRICTS. 17 



preparation. The use of the spike-tooth harrow was reported by 

 99 per cent of the beet growers in all regions. Fort Morgan grain 

 growers reported its use on 36 of 41 fields. In the Greeley district 

 31 of 57 grain growers used the spike-tooth harrow, this implement 

 being more used in this region than in any other. Bean and potato 

 growers in Weld County commonly used this type of harrow. 



The spike-tooth harrow is used in Colorado for the purpose of 

 leveling the land, pulverizing and packing the surface soil, and 

 destroying small weeds. Where land is plowed, it is customary to 

 harrow the area of land plowed that day. This prevents crusting 

 or the formation of hard clods and excess evaporation of moisture 

 from the soil. After this first harrowing the land is usually gone 

 over at intervals of from 7 to 10 days until the crop is planted. 

 Beet growers went over their ground with the harrow on an average 

 of slightly over 3 times and bean growers 2.6 times. Grain land in 

 Weld County was harrowed with a spike-tooth implement but 1.3 

 times, in Morgan County 1.5 times, and in Otero County 2.3 times. 

 Cucumber seed beds were similarly treated 3.8 times, and canta- 

 loupe seed beds were gone over 3.9 times. 



In nearly every case the harrowing was done with a steel spike- 

 tooth harrow with a steel frame and an adjustable tooth stand. 

 These harrows were of two, three, or four sections and ranged from 

 9 to 16 feet in length. They were operated by one man and three 

 or four horses, 12 to 15 acres being usually harrowed a day. Accu- 

 rate data were not obtained as to the number of men who weighted 

 the harrows by riding, although this has much to do with the effec- 

 tiveness of the operation. 



LEVELING. 



No operation in the preparation of a seed bed for an irrigated 

 crop is more important than the leveling, but the amount of time 

 put in on any one crop depends upon many factors. Among these 

 one must consider the previous crop and the condition of the land. 

 Another important factor is the accumulative value of previous 

 leveling. If a farmer has been practicing careful and effective 

 methods of handling and leveling his fields for several years, the 

 necessity for this work becomes less each year. A field that is not 

 properly leveled can not be properly irrigated and can not produce 

 its maximum crop. 



Leveling is done just before planting, and in the sections studied 

 it is done best with the common box leveler. This implement is 

 usually constructed on the farm of heavy planks set on edge. The 

 length usually is 14 to 18 feet and the width 8 to 10 feet. Four 

 planks are placed on edge, making the box, then one or two cross 

 planks are inserted across the box the narrow way. The leveler 

 11311°— 21— Bull. 917 3 



