IRRIGATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE GREAT BASIN 
27 
their growth. Good practice seems to call for a thorough prepara- 
tion of the seed bed by deep fall plowing, followed by cultivation in 
the spring and an adequate supply of soil moisture. If the moisture 
supply is not sufficient under natural conditions, the field should be 
irrigated some time before seeding. When the top layer of soil is 
carefully prepared after water has been applied, and contains the 
right quantity of moisture, the beet plants should germinate 
promptly and make a rapid growth. Beets grown under favorable 
conditions should possess normal shapes. The deformities arise, as 
a rule, from drought, hardpan, a high water table, alkali, or disease. 
The maintenance of a soil moisture content as nearly uniform as 
practicable is a reliable guide in determining when sugar beets 
should be irrigated. This rule holds true to within a short time of 
maturity. The additional profits to be gained in irrigating when- 
ever the plants are in need of water was demonstrated by the Great 
Western Sugar Co., at their experiment farm at Longmont, Colo. 
In this experiment one set of plots. No. 1, was irrigated June 27, 
July 22, and August 12. This set was termed "early irrigated"; 
set No. 2, irrigated July 22 and August 12, was termed "inter- 
mediate"; set No. 3, irrigated August 12 and September 18, was 
termed " late." and set No. 4, irrigated June 27, July 22, August 12, 
August 24, and September 6, was termed " when in need of irriga- 
tion." The yield, sugar content, and farmers' profits for each set 
are given below. 
Num- 
ber 
Yield per 
Suear 
Farmers' 
of 
acre 
content 
profit 
set 
Tons 
Per cent 
1 
16.89 
14.79 
$82.53 
2 
16.57 
14.95 
79.63 
3 
15.69 
13.63 
75.97 
4 
18.87 
15.25 
93.66 
The proper time to irrigate sugar beets was investigated by the 
Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station in 1914 and 1915 on 19 
plots. 
A 4-inch irrigation was applied at each of four stages of wilting 
with the following results: 
Stage 
Yield per 
Sugar con- 
acre 
tent 
Tons 
Per cent 
11. 31 
20.92 
9.67 
21.48 
9. 40 
21. 01 
7. 38 
18.59 
Before plants began to wilt 
When plants began to wilt 
When the leaves wilted down once 
When the plants failed to revive at night 
During the growing season of 1919 sugar beets were grown in 
tanks 22>y 2 inches in diameter and 48 inches deep, at the Denver 
field laboratory in Denver, Colo., by Fortier and Blaney. Figure 14 
indicates graphically the quantity of water in pounds which was 
