fiEEDING BEETS! 



301 



plowed and then harrowed at intervals during the fall to kill 

 any weeds that appear. The easy preparation of a good 

 seed bed free from weeds is thus insured for the beets which 

 may be grown the following spring. 



The usual preparation for beets, whether or not the rota- 



Figure 134. — Mangels produce a heavy yield to the acre and supply a large 

 quantity of succulent feed for dairy cows and other stock 



tion just given is followed, is to plow the land in the fall and 

 disk it deeply and thoroughly in the spring. From four to 

 six harrowings and diskings are usually required to put it in 

 proper condition for seeding. The land should be fertile. If 

 it has not been manured for a previous crop, the application 

 of a good supply of well-rotted manure is beneficial. Fresh 

 manure should not be used, as it is likely to contain many 

 weed seeds. 



527. Seeding. The seed of the beet is produced in 

 ''balls," or "bolts," which contain from one to five seeds. 

 For this reason, it is impossible to regulate the rate of seeding 

 perfectly, and hand thinning must be practiced to obtain a 



