604 
even the horses’ feet make but little im- 
pression upon it. 
Another important point in preparing 
the ground for beets is to see that it is 
properly leveled. A properly leveled field 
ean be irrigated much more quickly, 
and, furthermore, if not properly leveled 
there will be high spots where the beets 
suffer from lack of sufficient moisture 
and low spots where the plants are in- 
jured by too heavy watering. 
Drainage 
At first thought, drainage in an ir- 
rigated section of the country might 
seem unnecessary, but experience has 
shown that under certain conditions the 
constant applications of water cause the 
soil to become water-logged. 
There are two general systems of ar- 
tificial drainage that may be used for 
carrying off the excess of water or for 
removing the excess of salts from the 
soil, namely, (1) the open ditch and (2) 
the blind ditch in which tile or a similar 
conducting channel is used to aid the flow 
of the water through the ground. The 
blind ditch is most often used, and while 
its initial cost is somewhat greater than 
that of the open ditch it is more econ- 
omical in the end, since it still allows the 
use of the land and if properly construct- 
ed does not require the expenditure of 
time and labor necessitated by the open 
ditch to keep it in working order. 
Irrigation 
The proper use of irrigating water is 
one of the most important factors in the 
growing of sugar beets under irrigation. 
The time and method of application and 
the quantity of water used are the es- 
sential considerations in the irrigation 
of sugar beets. In all irrigated sections 
there is some precipitation in the form of 
rain or snow, although this precipitation 
is uncertain both as to time and amount. 
However, it should always be conserved 
and utilized to the fullest extent and the 
irrigating water should be looked upon 
as an insurance to carry the crop over 
periods of drought. It is usual in some 
localities to irrigate beets up; that is, the 
seed is planted in dry ground and the field 
is then flooded in order to germinate the 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
seed. This is a poor practice and should 
be avoided whenever possible, especial- 
ly in fields in which the soil has a tena- 
ency to form a crust. It is much more 
satisfactory to irrigate before planting 
if enough natural moisture can not be re- 
tained in the soil to produce germina- 
tion. 
In irrigating before germination it is 
generally best to corrugate the land, mak- 
ing the corrugations 5 or 6 inches deep 
and about 20 inches apart The water 
should then be run into the corrugations 
until the ground is thoroughly wet. As 
soon as the surface of the ground is suf- 
ficiently dry to work it should be harrow- 
ed down and planted Whether the germ- 
ination is produced by the moisture 
already in the soil or whether it is pro- 
duced by irrigation, the plants should 
be carried just as long as possible after 
they are up before they are watered. The 
object in withholding the water as long 
as possible is to produce long roots, since 
long roots are essential for a good ton- 
nage. 
In watering beets after they are up they 
should never be flooded, but should be 
watered in furrows between the rows. 
This is especially important while the 
beets are small, since flooding at that 
time is likely to scald the beet stems 
and to produce a crust on the surface of 
the ground. Usually suitable furrows 
between the beet rows can be made by 
means of irrigating shovels, which may 
be attached to the cultivator. If the fur- 
rows made in this manner are not deep 
enough and smooth enough to carry the 
water readily, which will depend upon 
the slope of the land and the nature of 
the soil, they should be logged out. This 
can be done by running the corrugators 
behind the cultivator. The same imple- 
ment can be used to prepare the ground 
for watering before planting and after 
the beets are up. 
After the furrows are properly prepared, 
the water should be allowed to run slow- 
ly through them, so that they will not 
overflow and so that the ground will be 
thoroughly wet down and the water seep 
out to the beets. After each watering the 
