Sugar Beet Investigations. 173 



Thinning. — This is the most difficult and expensive operation in 

 beet growing and upon its proper execution the success of the crop 

 largely depends. The distance between the beets in the row should 

 depend upon the quality of the soil, as on a rich, moist soil they will 

 thrive if left much thicker than on a poor, dry soil. If planted in 

 extra wide rows to facilitate horse culture, they may be left closer 

 in the rows than otherwise. If the rows are 18-20 inches apart the 

 beets should ordinarily be thinned to 8-»io inches in the rows. The 

 first operation of thinning is done with a common hoe having a blade 

 5-7 inches wide, according to the distance apart it is desired to have 

 the beets stand when the work is complete. When the beets are well 

 started, and usually immediately after the second cultivation, pass 

 along the rows and with the hoe strike out portions the width of the 

 hoe blade, leaving bunches of two or three inches containing several 

 plants. This operation is called bunching and results in the removal 

 of the weeds in the row and the stirring of the soil as well as the 

 removal of most of the surplus plants. Shortly after the bunching the 

 plants remaining are reduced to one in a place and all weeds removed 

 by hand pulling. As this work is usually done by cheap help it is 

 necessary to watch very closely to see that it is well done. One plant, 

 and that the strongest, should be left from each bunch, all the weeds 

 should h^ pulled., not broken off, and if the soil is displaced about the 

 young plant by the removal of the others it must be returned but not 

 packed down hard. The thinning should be done as soon as the 

 plants have four well formed leaves and it is better to employ extra 

 help rather than to delay this work. If the thinning is delayed the 

 beets entwine about one another so that the roots of those left are 

 injured by the removal of the others, and if the tap root is broken the 

 plant will never produce a well formed beet. 



Since the soil will become considerably compacted by tramping of 

 the workmen during the thinning it should be immediately loosened 

 by horse cultivation, followed by a thorough hand hoeing. This 

 working should stir the soil three inches deep and leave the crop free 

 from weeds. Under favorable conditions of soil and season the 

 handhoeing just after thinning may be the only one necessary for the 

 crop, but if the weeds begin to start close to the rows it will be advis- 

 able to handhoe once before thinning. Again, if rains interfere with 



