28 
BULLETIN- 726, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 
common to all beet-growing areas of this country, and it is everywhere 
used in about the same way. To insure good work with the planter, 
the surface of the field should be smooth and free from anv large 
clods, and the soil ought to be firm enough to enable the operator to 
manipulate the drill readily, otherwise the chill wheels will sink and 
the seed can not be planted at an even depth. If these essentials 
are obtained, straight rows can be made, which are not only pleasing 
to the eye and give the owner a sense of gratification as the season 
advances, but also make it easier for the driver to operate the culti- 
vator, especially while the plants are small. Thus the stand is not 
impaired by having some of the beets cut out with the cultivator 
knives. The rows averaged 20 inches apart in the Fort Morgan 
district, approximately the same in the Greeley district, and at 
Rocky Ford 19 inches. Some of the Greeley farmers made a practice 
Fig. 11.— Planting beet seed with a four-row beet drill. The marker to the right makes a line that serves 
as a guide for the driver. Furro wing-out shovels are also attached to this beet drill. 
of planting wide and narrow rows in pairs. The usual distance apart 
for these pairs was 16 and 24 inches. Such an arrangement not only 
provided a set of wide rows in which to drive the horses when culti- 
vating, but also furnished more space for irrigation ditches (fig. 11). 
The dates of planting in the Rocky Ford district varied from April 1 
to June 15, at Fort Morgan from May 10 to June 22, and at Greeley 
from April 1 to June 20. These dates included the very early and 
very late planting. There was a little replanting in each district, 
which undoubtedly had a tendency to carry the latest date of planting 
somewhat beyond the customary limits. Under normal conditions 
planting in all of these areas is quite general during the latter part of 
April and early in May (Table XVI). 
