CULTIVATION OF THE BEET. 167 



though I incline to think the latter is much more favored with us 

 than in England in this respect. 



The ground for beet crops is prepared the same as for turnips ; 

 that is, it is finely and deeply tilled (and there is no crop which 

 will better show the value of draining and subsoil plowing), and 

 manured with well-decomposed dung, compost, bones, or guano, 

 in drills from twenty-seven inches to three feet apart. The seed 

 is usually prepared by steeping for from twenty-four to forty-eight 

 hours, and is then rolled in lime. As rapidly as possible after 

 the manure is deposited, it is covered with soil and the seed 

 dropped, sometimes being drilled like turnip seed, but more com- 

 monly dibbled. There are two simple machines used here for 

 dibbling. Whatever way the seed is planted, it must be expected 

 that a large part will fail to germinate. 



I have found dibbling by hand not very tedious, as follows : 

 One man making holes an inch deep, and six or eight inches 

 apart, with a round stick an inch in diameter, another following 

 and dropping three seeds in a hole, and a third covering by a 

 single stroke, and pressing, with a hoe. I have obtained a large 

 crop, planting so late as the middle of July, in the climate of 

 New York. 



A rapid, early growth of the plant is important. When the 

 weeds come up, the horse-hoe or cultivator is run through, and as 

 often afterwards as there is need, while the size of the beets will 

 permit it, they are horse and hand-hoed. It is found that earth- 

 ing-up with a plow is injurious. When two or three inches high, 

 the plants are thinned to twelve inches apart. When two or 

 three plants come up in a bunch one only of them must be left. 

 It will wilt down flat upon the ground at first, but soon recovers. 



The outer leaves begin to dry and decay early in the fall, and 

 may then be plucked and fed to cows with profit, and without re- 

 tarding the continued growth of the root. The root may be pulled 



