150 The Sugar- Beet in America 



the slicing season and also because the company's agri- 

 culturists, aided by chemical analyses, are better able 

 to judge the proper time to dig than the individual farmer, 

 who might allow the date of digging to be influenced more 

 by personal convenience than by the condition of the 

 beets. It is easy for the farmer, desiring to close off his 

 fall work as soon as possible, to make the mistake of 

 digging too early. It is difficult for him to realize that it 

 is during the last few weeks of growth that the greater 

 part of the sugar is stored in the beet, and that the ton- 

 nage is also materially increased at that time. During 

 its early stages of growth the beet plant is sending out 

 roots and leaves and most of its food is used in growth. 

 Only when growth is nearly complete is the plant in a 

 position to do any large amount of storing. 



Under a number of conditions the beet plant may begin 

 to ripen and store sugar, then later begin another period 

 of growth and the sugar-content be reduced. These 

 conditions are to be avoided. Every effort should be 

 made to keep the plant growing up to the time of final 

 ripening. A period of drought in the early fall may pro- 

 mote ripening; and if followed by warm rains or by an 

 irrigation, the plant may send out new leaf and root 

 growth and use a part of the sugar that has been stored. 

 It is, therefore, a mistake to let the beets become dry any 

 great period before the time of digging. Some of the 

 conditions bringing about this reduction in sugar are 

 beyond the farmer's control, but he should be watchful to 

 make favorable the conditions of which he is master. 



