FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 101 



tbinning is lessened materially. We used to thin to six inches, but we 

 have lessened the laborious work of thinning by one-third. In this way 

 one man can sometimes thin an acre in two days. We have had two men 

 thin six acres in five days. 



Labor for TJt inning. — fc^ome hire by the day and some by the row. We 

 have done both ways. We prefer to hire by the row, for each man gets 

 what he earns. We give six, eight, or ten rows to each person, and when 

 they are finished they are inspected, and if not satisfactory they have to 

 be made so. We get more work done and done better, and I think it is 

 fully as satisfactory to the laborers. 



Cultivation. — We use a four-row cultivator but the first three times 

 cultivating it is made into a two-row cultivator, and then when the beets 

 are larger, we use it as a four-row cultivator. All we do in this line 

 during the dry months is to stir the ground lightly to keep out the weeds. 



I have sometimes been asked, "How 9o you reduce the cost of growing 

 beets?" I know of no new methods except thorough preparation, doing 

 the work on time, keeping the weeds out, and giving extensive and* 

 thorough cultivation. 



Harvesting. 



BY I. D. SUYDAM, ST. LOUIS. 



My practice is to pull four rows into a windrow, being careful to lay 

 the leaves in the same direction. This is done so that in topping one can 

 grasp the beet just where he wants to, and do the topping with a single 

 motion of the knife and as near the base as possible. 



I find it better to work two men together and furnish them two-bushel 

 crates, as these are easier to handle for two men and save half the trips 

 to the pits. 



Topping.- — We usually work on topping by the row, as it seems to be 

 better than hiring by the day. We usually allow for thirty to forty rows 

 to make a row of piles, at least in growing on a large scale. In small areas 

 instead of using the crates and carrying by hand. I would make a rough 

 sleigh that would carry eight or nine crates. You can use for hauling 

 these a spare horse even if it is good for nothing else. This saves quite a 

 little work. 



After the beets are in the pit cover with beet leaves and just before 

 cold weather sets in cover with dirt. If you are ])utting in the pit for 

 late delivery, the deeper you cover with leaves the nicer the beets will 

 handle; besides if you have plenty of leaves, a very little dirt will keep 

 tb,e beets from freezing. If you do not cover carefully the rain will leak 

 through and it seems to cement the beets; but if you try in the way I 

 have suggested the beets will look on taking them out as fresh as the day 

 when put into the pit. 



I have been asked about the racks we use. Our rack is a flat rack in 

 size 6x14x12 feet, the bottom made of 2x8s or 2xl0s, and the sides of 2x4s. 



Deiiverij. — I think in the matter of delivery at the factory there is an 

 unintentional injustice to the farmers living near by. The factory gives 

 a preference in delivery to those who ship twenty-five to fifty or perhaps 

 a hundred miles, and this works disadvantageouslv to nearbv growers. 



