Show i o MUCH WATER MATER IS BAD FOR BEETS BEEFS i I ii SAYS EXPERT i I on Held More ore Dangerous to Crops Than Insufficient Supply I I I 1 As a result or of five lve years' years expert expert- I ments In the Irrigation of sugar beets conducted conducted by the experiment station I lot of the Utah A Agricultural rl l r l. l college it was wasI I found that the amount of irrigation on i water applied to beets can easily abe be beI I increased to such an extent that its use becomes a n detriment and that com com- little water er applied at t the right time gives as good a a. yield as asmore I more more water unwisely applied Briefly the results of the five years' years I ments mav may be tabulated as follows When the beets were watered each I week in the growing season one Inch of ot water weekly gave a hll higher yield than did moi moo than this quantity When but one Irrigation was wa given it was most effective when applied at atthe atthe atthe the time the beets averaged about two Inches in diameter Irrigating Irrigating- the land after the seed was I planted and before the plants were up I reduced the y yield below that where no irrigation atlon water vater was applied The least desirable time water water water wa wa- ter after arter the plants had begun to grow was way Just before the beets were ripe When the water the water was applied at the proper time two t cr or r three irrigations of ot five Inches each e-ach gave practically as ng asgood asgood good results as where more water was WM L used Jed Proportionately more tops were produced pro pro-i pro pro-j by the high and the later Irrigations irrigations j than by the opposite conditions j The percentage e sugar and the purity were higher in the Irrigated than in the then I beets except where the Irrigation water was added very late Jale The highest percentage of ot sugar resulted re- re r re resulted from irrigation water applied I when the beets were about two inches In diameter Contrary to popular opinion the then I length of ot beets was was not not increased by dela delaying the time of or applying the first I Irrigation I The percentage of forked beets bore bOTe II I Ino I no consistent relationship to the the amount of ot Irrigation water applied I Irrigation Irrig water affected the average average average aver- aver I age size of ot b bents beats ts in practically the samp same manner that It affected the total totals j I II I yield i ii i I Su Sugar r beets do not require J large rge quantities of ot irrigation water If it it Is i I j properly applied but they are genst- genst as to the time It Is given ghen 1 The extreme Importance of f these In Investigations inI in- in I are apparent when we consider the hl high h acre cost of producing ing the sugar beet The expense of ot raising an acre of or beets Is 15 so great that every condition I should be as fa favorable rable as possible in order to prevent losses Unless ss the 1 soil and moisture conditions are are favorable favorable favor favor- a rable r- r I able it Is Impossible to fret et a crop of ot i sugar beets sufficiently large lare to pay the cost of ot production The cost of raising an acre acre of ot grain Is relatively I low and if it the crop is poor the loss Is slight ht with beets the farmer fanner cannot afford to 1 Have ave a failure These conditions make It esp especially desirable to understand the water re reQuIrements requirements re- re of the su sugar r beet et plant A little Increase in yield adds considerably considerably consider consider- ably to the relative net profit of ot the I crop A complete discussion of oC these ex exI experiments experiments ex- ex I pe is contained In Sn experiment station stalon bulletin written by by I 1 j tor torF F F. S. S Harris This bulletin will wUl be besent j I sent free Cre of oC charge to those asking for Cor Cori j i it Address The Clerk Experiment I Station Utah Agricultural College Logan Utah I |