190 CULTURE OF 



droop and wither. When this is seen, they should 

 immediately be taken up, as the sugar every hour they 

 are suffered to remain in the ground is being lost, and 

 saltpetre replaced instead. A spade is generally 

 the instrument with which the beet is taken up, and 

 the manner of doing it, is to make a deep cut in front 

 of each plant ; then to bury the hand under the same 

 and force it from the earth, being careful not to bruise 

 the roots by knocking one against another. The 

 beets are all laid on the ground in one direction, that 

 is their roots, and then with a spade the stalks are 

 seperated from the roots. This must absolutely be 

 done, or the plant will continue to grow, and a great 

 loss of sugar be the consequence. But the plan of 

 cutting off the roots with a spade is condemned by 

 many culturists, and they contend that it should be 

 done with the hand. The danger in bruising them is 

 this; fermentation ensues, and, of course, whenever 

 and wherever this takes place, the sugar is lost. 

 Beets should always be dug in dry weather, as they 

 often heat, as it is called, in wet weather, and fer- 

 mentation ensues. 



The next thing in order, is to preserve the beets. 

 Some place them in a cellar, but it is said that a pit is 

 better. The size of the pit of course must be ac- 

 cording to the quantity of beets. It is said that the 

 best form and size is twelve feet long, three feet wide 

 at bottom, and thirty-one inches deep. In this pit 

 may be stowed from two to three thousand pounds 



