﻿IRRIGATION AT UNIVERSITY FARM, DAVIS, CAL. 21 



Yield of sugar beets and percentage of sugar content and purity. 



Seeding. 



Number 

 of plat. 



Number of 

 irrigations. 



Depth. 



Sugar 

 content. 



Purity. 



Yield 



per acre. 



Value at 



$5 per 



ton. 



Cost of 

 irriga- 

 tion. 





( i 

 1 1 





Inches. 



Per cent. 

 21.3 

 17.7 

 16.5 

 23.00 

 20.10 

 17.25 

 16.85 



Per cent. 

 88.13 

 80.96 

 81.44 

 83.14 

 83.75 

 83. 89 

 89.91 



Tons. 

 10.85 

 13. 80 

 17.50 

 4.85 

 6.70 

 14.75 

 18.60 



$54. 25 

 69.00 

 87.50 

 24.25 

 33.50 

 73.75 

 93.00 





Mar. 11 



One 



■ 10.5 

 14.0 



$4.10 







5.81 









Mar. 27 



One 



6.12 



11.52 

 17. SO 



2.38 





4.49 





Three 



6.94 



111 irrigating, continual attendance was necessary at a cost of 25 

 cents per acre-inch. Power cost 14 cents per acre-inch. The total 

 cost is therefore 39 cents per acre-inch. 



With the same number of irrigations heavier yields were obtained 

 by early seeding than by late seeding. The results show an increase 

 in yield of 6 tons per acre from the unirrigated plats in favor of the 

 early planting, while the plats given one irrigation show an increase 

 of 7.10 tons per acre. This is due entirely to the weather conditions 

 following seeding. Between March 12 and 15, 1.13 inches of rain 

 fell, giving the early seeding a vigorous start. Following this no 

 more rain fell until April 10, and the late seeding was very slow in 

 sprouting, some of the seed not coming up until the middle of April, 

 after the early seeded plats had been thinned. 



In general the sugar percentage decreased with the increased 

 amounts of water added, although in every case this decrease was 

 overbalanced by the increase in yield. 



The time of irrigation and the quantity of water required will 

 always depend upon the local conditions. This is shown very clearly 

 in the yields from plats 2 and 3, on which a second irrigation of 5.4 

 inches, costing $2.10 per acre, increased the yield 120 per cent and the 

 gross returns $40.25 per acre. Here, as in other irrigated crops, suc- 

 cess or failure lies in the judgment of the irrigator in applying the 

 water. 



. o 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1013 



