164 The Svgar-Beet in America 



the water-table to the surface; the depth of the pit is 

 frequently less than given above and the thickness of tops 

 made up by extending the pile above ground. Less work 

 is required in covering the silage if the trench is not too 

 wide. SuflScient width, however, should be given to 

 allow the wagon carrying the tops to be driven freely 



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Fig. 25. — Beet-top silo below ground. 



over them. This aids in compacting the tops. In 

 scraping the trench out, the ends are left sloping enough 

 to allow the wagon to pass easily in and out. In esti- 

 mating the size of the excavation, usually it is assumed 

 that the yield of silage will be about one-half the weight 

 of the roots and that a ton of the green tops will occupy 

 thirty-eight cubic feet. 



In order that as small a proportion as possible of the 

 tops shall spoil, six to eight inches of straw are spread 



