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Show SUGAR EEET CULTURE i ! Fall Plowing Is One Most D3-sirable D3-sirable Factor. In Use of Irrigation Much Care and Judgment Should Be Exercised Water Applied at Right Times Insures Good Crop. (By J. C. HOGENSO.NT. Utah.) In the preparation of the land for the sugar beets, fall plowing is a desirable de-sirable factor, as the food and moisture moist-ure required bV the young plants are thereby more easily obtained and the ground will be In a better condition to make a good seed-bed. If the soil is not rich enough in humus, well-rotted manure should be spread and plowed under in the faI, using about ten. loads to the acre. Horse and sheep manure are especially valuable. A manure pile upon which beets or their tops have decayed should be avoided, as diseases are likely to appear ap-pear next season In consequence. In the irrigation of the beets much care and judgment should be exercised. exercis-ed. Prof. Shaw has formulated the following general and very proper Instructions: In-structions: For the successful Irrigation Irri-gation of the beet crop, some fundamental funda-mental characteristics of the plant must be considered; for by the wrong use of water it is an easy matter to ruin the crop. On the other hand, water applied at the right time 'will usually insure a large and profitable crop. The sugar beet will get along with less water and will stand more of It than most other farm crops. This statement needs some explanation, however, for, while in one sense It is true, it Is also true that the -crop may be ruined by too liberal application of water, or by Its application at the wrong time In the life of the plant. There are three periods in the life of the sugar beet which demand entirely entire-ly different treatment so far as moisture moist-ure Is concerned. (1) The germinating germinat-ing or plantlet period, embracing the time from planting until the plant has four leaves. (2) The growing period, per-iod, in which the form and size of the plant are developed. (3) The sugar-storing sugar-storing period, in which the sugar is elaborated from the air. In the first period the necessary condition is that the beet seed" should have sufficient moisture and warmth to germinate and start it, but never in excess. After the plant has developed four leaves there should be sufficient moisture moist-ure In the soil to develop it, but caution cau-tion should be used In applying it for about two months. When the plant is young Its natural tendency is to send Its taproots deep into the soil to procure pro-cure moisture, and this is the time that the form of the beet is set. If the water at the surface is given too soon and too abundantly at the beginning be-ginning of this period, the shape of the root is ruined, for the plant will have too strong a tendency tu rely upon the surface moisture rather than to seek the moisture of the soil below, becoming thus a short, stubby, forked beet. The beet may show a tendency to droop its leaves and become lighter In color, but this does not indicate that moisture Is needed. Irrigation should not be resorted to until1 there is an absolute demand for it. ; Wilting Wilt-ing of the leaves in the heat of the day does not indicate the need of irrigation. ir-rigation. If the leaves recover their vigor in the evening it Is sufficient evidence ev-idence that their wants are supplied In this direction. When the plant really needs water the leaves droop and grow darker in color and will not recover their vigor In the evening. |