CULTIVATION OF THE BEET. 109 



to place them properly and to " double up the rows," 

 that is, to place in one line the beets from two 

 rows, while it not only hastens the labors of the cut- 

 ter, but also facilitates the subsequent operation of 

 throwing into pits or putting into wagons. Pains 

 should also be taken to have two " doubled rows" 

 come together, in order to allow the passage between 

 the rows of extracted beets of a wagon, into which 

 they can be loaded from both sides. This can be 

 done in the following manner : rows one and two 

 should, when dug, be laid on the ground occupied by 

 row one ; rows three and four on row occupied by 

 four; rows five and six on row five; rows seven and 

 eight on row eight ; and so on. 



After the beets are placed in lines, the leaves are 

 cut off". For this operation several different methods 

 are employed. In some instances the work is done 

 by women and children, who use either a large knife 

 with a curved point, like a priming-knife, or a straight 

 knife, with a blade about a foot long and an inch and 

 a half wide. In other cases it is done by a man 

 either with a spade or with an instrument shaped like 

 a sod-cutter, with a handle about four feet long. This 

 latter instrument is the best. Whichever is used, it 

 must be kept sharp, not only to render the work 

 easier, but also to prevent bruising the beet, which 

 hastens its decomposition. 



If the beet is of the right kind, and has been prop- 

 erly cultivated, so that the root has not pushed above 

 the surface, it will only be necessary to cut off the 

 foliage, just shaving the crown of the plant, so that 

 die leaves fall separated ; but if the root, for any rea- 



