4 
The ideal sugar beet ground is a sandy loam, porous, 
warm and easy to cultivate. Topographically, the land 
should be smooth and nearly level, the better to facilitate 
proper irrigation. 
An experiment made in 1891, would seem to indicate 
that in an ordinary season, one irrigation during the grow¬ 
ing season is sufficient to produce the best results, both as to 
tonnage per acre and saccharine matter contained. 
TABLE. 
No. 
Name. 
Area. 
Culti¬ 
vated. 
Hoed. 
Irri¬ 
gat’d. 
Tons 
per A. 
Sugar 
per ct. 
Purity, 
Coef. 
1 
Vilmorin. 
X A 
3 times 
Twice 
0 
9 
14.25 
80.5 
2 
( 4 
i » 
1 
10 4-5 
15.2 
81.3 
3 
« 4 
44 
2 
9 9-10 
14.22 
79.5 
4 
4( 
44 
4 4 
3 
9 9-10 
13. 
76.0 
Though it is quite generally understood that the irri¬ 
gated beet is the best and most profitable, it has become ap¬ 
parent, not only here, but in the practical work in Utah and 
California, that unless irrigation and cultivation are carried 
on with a careful relative system, there will always be a lack 
of harmony between the crop and its environment, which 
will prevent the assimilation of the maximum amount of 
saccharine matter. 
It will be readily understood, that hilly or uneven land 
cannot be made to produce equally good results on all por¬ 
tions, from the fact that on hillsides, water will run too fast 
to soak in well, while if there be low places, here, tl\e water 
will stand, to the total ruin of the crop. 
The season for planting at this Station extends from 
March 20th to June 20th and for harvesting from August 
15th till November 15th. It is this wide range of the plant¬ 
ing and harvesting season that, with suitable soil and facil¬ 
ities for proper irrigation, makes the Arkansas Valley espe¬ 
cially adapted to beet raising for profit. 
A number of experiments have been tried for determin-* 
ing the amount of seed to be sown per acre, depth of plant¬ 
ing, proper space between rows, methods of irrigation, etc. 
For field cultivation, the conclusion from many trials, 
both here and elsewhere, is that not less than 16 pounds of 
seed should be sown per acre. It is much better to thin than 
to plant again. 
As to depth of planting, our best results have been ob¬ 
tained from planting from two to three inches deep. In 
very shallow planting, seed frequently becomes too dry for 
germination and in extremely deep planting, there may be 
