100 BEET-ROOT SUGAR AND 



upon by our skilful mechanics. But there are al- 

 ready cultivators in the west, that, with trifling mod- 

 ifications, would perform the required work admi- 

 rably. 



If the weeds should show thickly before the beet is 

 up, and the lines made by the seed-sower are plainly 

 visible, the cultivator may commence at once, for it is 

 absolutely necessary, if good returns of beets, and also 

 subsequent crops, are desired, that the fields should be 

 kept entirely free from weeds. 



In many parts of Europe the farmer not only runs 

 his cultivator (" rasette a cheval ") between the rows, 

 but also across them, leaving his plants at the corners 

 of squares eighteen inches apart each way, thus doing 

 almost all his work with a horse cultivator. This 

 implement sometimes operates on one, but oftener on 

 three lines at once, and is drawn by a small horse, 

 which is led by a boy. 



The cultivator for one line does better work, but at 

 a higher cost, than the three-line machine. There are 

 two-horse cultivators in use, but it is difficult to em- 

 ploy a span of horses without injuring the crop. 

 Many of these machines have a device attached that 

 raises the leaves from the ground, and prevents their 

 being injured. Others, also, have an attachment that 

 "earths-up" the beet. The cost of these machines 

 varies from five to thirty dollars. The one-horse ma- 

 chine, managed by a boy, will cultivate from three to 

 four acres a day. 



The use of the horse-cultivator across the lines is 

 not recommended, as it leaves the plants too far apart 

 in the lines. In some cases the hand hoe (" rasette a 



