| Show IRRIGATE THE BEETS BEETSI I r Time tonne for Letting in Water Depends Depends Depends De De- Largely on Weather Weather- Look Fresh and Bo Long as Leaves Look Healthy It Is Unnecessary to Ap Apply Apply Ap- Ap I i ply Water Water Signs Signs of Wilt In Indicate Indicate In- In Lack of Moisture The time for the irrigations of the beet fields after they are thinned depends depends depends de de- The largely upon the weather eather beet leaves being of considerable size and the weather warm the evaporation evaporation evaporation tion from their surface is great and andon andon andon on hot days das they will wilt but this is no sign that irrigation is required for foron foron foron on examination lon it will be found usually usually usually us us- that the tle soil contains consider consider- ro 1 T- T Farm I able moisture says Field nem and JU Uh The beets wilt because the toot root Is not notable notable able to supply moisture to the Ule leaves fast enough to make up for the evaporation evaporation evaporation ration from their s surfaces As soon as DS night falls and evaporation is greatly curtailed the leaves will assume assume assume as as- sume their normal condition So long longas as the leaves look fresh iesh and healthy In n the early morning it is unnecessary to apply water but should the plants show signs of wilt at that time irrigation irrigation irrl- irrl I gation Is necessary From two to I four applications of water should be sufficient for tor the season except on very porus soil soU where the moisture quickly drops below the point where the roots can reach it it Under suc such conditions more frequent irrigations are necessary In many of our Irrigated irrigated irrigated ir ir- Ir- Ir districts there Is a question as asto asto asto to the relative advantages of irrigating Ing in the daytime daUme or at night In like this sOI some le sections in seasons when the supply Is limited it is necessary necessary necessary sary to use water for the entire period In n which it can be obtained so that day and night irrigation is practised Again many growers object to night work as it deprives them of sleep and it is more difficult to control the water properly Those rhose who advocate night irrigation however have found that they obtain better results especially especially espe espe- when the temperature of th the water is low Their contentions are that the water will go farther due to less evaporation that the water is is- warmer at that time on account of its exposure to the sun during the da day and finally that there is far less danger of scalding or 01 drowning out than during the hot period of the da day All of these contentions are well borne out by the facts It may be stated also that the proper leveling of th the field and the use of boxes or tubes for distributing the water to the furrows as practised by our best farmers render night irrigation no nomore nomore nomore more difficult than day irrigation while results are generally better The final watering as a rule should be given four or six weeks before harvest harvest har har- vest so that there will be ample time for the roots to mature and store the sugar In this connection it may may be bewell bewell bewell well to call attention to the fact that If the beets mature during warm weather some time before they are harvested the percentage of sugar will Hill decrease se gradually Experience alone will decide the best practise to have the crop ready for the factory when it is at the proper stage of ripe ripe- ness The decision as to this latter question is entirely with the field men employed by the factory At this stage they may visit the various fields In m their districts and select beets usually usual usual- ly five or six six at various points in the field These are turned over to the factory chemist for analysis and if it the sugar Bugar percentage and purity are sufficiently sufficiently sufficiently high orders are issued to harvest harvest harvest har har- vest the crop The picture on this page shows a field near Scotts Scott's Bluff Neb on the South Platte river as taken by Mr Wallace the editor atthe of at the Valley of the Nile and he ought to know a thing or two about it |
