CULTIVATION OF THE BEET. Ill 



and with the top rounded so as to shed water. In 

 some cases these piles are ventilated, as will be de- 

 scribed hereafter, and in other cases they are solid. 

 In the opinion of many, piles should not contain more 

 than five tons, and should be thoroughly ventilated ; 

 on the other hand, I have seen more than 10,000 tons 

 in a pile without any ventilation, and the beets came 

 out in perfect condition. Some people preserve them 

 in silos or pits of various sizes, ventilated, in some 

 instances, and in others filled solid ; in some sections 

 the piles are conical. 



In France a patent has been taken for the preserva- 

 tion of beets by the mechanical introduction of a cur- 

 rent of cool air through ventilators that traverse the 

 piles. Preservation in cellars is not practicable on a 

 large scale, neither do the beets keep so well as those 

 in pits or piles. 



The best method of preserving the beet is to keep 

 it continually frozen ; for freezing not only does not in- 

 jure its saccharine properties, but it facilitates the ex- 

 traction of sugar, probably because frost ruptures the 

 sap-vessels more completely than it is possible to do 

 mechanically. The trouble of frost in Europe is, that 

 a frozen beet, when it thaws, quickly becomes rotten, 

 and it is impossible, in their climate, to keep them 

 frozen ; consequently frozen beets require to be worked 

 at once, or decomposition takes place. In my judg- 

 ment, beets may be frozen in Illinois in November, and 

 by protecting them with straw from the rays of the 

 sun, may be kept frozen until March. 



As it is impossible for the manfacturer upon a large 

 scale to take the whole crop at once, the usual method 



