CULTIVATION OF THE BEET. 107 



tcmber or first of October. In Illinois, by reason of 

 the heat of our summers being more intense, they 

 would ripen early in September. This is a great 

 advantage to the manufacturer, as he can begin to 

 work nearly a month sooner than is done in Europe, 

 and operate upon ripe beets ; while in Europe, the 

 manufacturer, if he has a large crop to consume, be 

 gins in September, but has unripe beets, that do not 

 contain their full proportion of sugar. 



If a portion of the beets are to be taken at once to 

 the factory, and the rest kept in pits for future work 

 ing, then those that are ripest should be selected for 

 the pits, and of the remainder the ripest should be 

 first dug for immediate use at the factory. If the 

 beets are all to be put into pits, then the least ripe, 

 and also those grown on the richest ground, should 

 be kept separate, and delivered first to the mill when 

 they are required. The reasons for these rules are, 

 that ripe beets keep better than unripe ones, and 

 that beets grown on rich ground are more watery, and 

 consequently do not keep so well as those grown on 

 poorer soil. 



Beets may be dug with a spade, fork, or common 

 plough. They are generally taken from the ground 

 in Europe with what is called an " arracheur," which 

 is a sort of plough with a share shaped like a cone, 

 the section of which is an oval somewhat flattened on 

 the lower side, about three feet in length, seven or 

 eight inches in diameter, and tapering to a blunted 

 point. It is drawn by two horses, and will dig from 

 one and a half to one and three fourths acres of 

 beets per day in excellent condition. The operations 



