CULTIVATION OF THE BEET. 103 



carry the plants he takes up. The second should also 

 have one for the convenience of transporting the 

 plants along the line. These trays should be two feet 

 long and one foot wide, with rims three inches high 

 on each side and on one end, with holes in the middle 

 of the side rims to admit the fingers. One end is left 

 open, so that the first workman can, with little injury 

 to the plants, slide them from his tray into that of the 

 second. 



Transplanting may also be done when the plants 

 are much larger, in which case it may be necessary to 

 make the hole with the spade. In that case one work- 

 man thrusts his spade perpendicularly into the ground 

 to a depth sufficient for the length of the root, and by 

 a motion of his spade pries the ground to one side ; 

 another workman then inserts the root, holding it in 

 its proper position ; the first workman then withdraws 

 his spade, and presses the earth against the plant with 

 his foot. It is far better, however, to transplant when 

 the beets are small. 



There is also an instrument for transplanting, called 

 a " deplantoir," in use in France, that moves the 

 plant without retarding its growth in the least. It 

 does the work perfectly in every respect, except that 

 it does not do it expeditiously. 



If the " spacing" of the plants is done by the pas- 

 sage of the cultivator across the lines, then the work- 

 men must with their hands, or with the short hoe, 

 loosen the earth about each plant, leaving but a single 

 one standing at the corner of each square. 



All weeds should be pulled up and left upon the 

 surface between the rows, but not in piles, for they 



