THE BELT. 185 



by long experience. Refining commences after the 

 raw sugar is made, and the process lasts six or eight 

 months, making the time long before he can dispose 

 of his product. 



The beet is a biennial plant, which bears seed the 

 second year. The height to which the stalk grows, 

 is from two to four or five feet. The beet will grow 

 in any soil where the potato flourishes; but a sandy 

 soil impregnated with vegetable matter, is the best. 

 A very sandy soil, however, should not be chosen. It 

 is said that small beets give a larger proportion of su- 

 gar than large ones. Calcareous soils are not adapt- 

 ed to the culture of the beet, neither is a very clay- 

 ey soil; but marl and clay improve a sandy soil. 



The ground to be prepared should be ploughed 

 three times ; twice in the winter and once in the 

 spring. Some culturists, however, only plough twice. 

 If the soil is sandy, it should not be ploughed deep ; 

 but in a clayey soil the matter is reversed. It is, I 

 believe, agreed that the best manure is that in which 

 putrefaction has just begun, as it by the division of the 

 soil gives the roots room to strike freely into the 

 earth. The ground is harrowed twice, and rolled 

 between each harrowing after the last time it is 

 ploughed, in the spring. By all means the soil should 

 be well pulverized. The soil should be damp at the 

 time of planting the seed. 



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