FIELD ROOtS. 203 



then be cut out on both sides of the row with the 

 hand hoe and without waiting to thin the plants. 

 If the hand hoeing thus given is carefully done, it 

 may not be necessary to bestow upon the crop any 

 more hand labor until it is ready for being fed. If 

 the plants are thinned as when they are grown for 

 winter feeding, the proper distance at which to thin 

 them will vary with circumstances. The following 

 may be given as the maximum distance at which 

 the plants of the various species may be thinned: 

 rutabagas and turnips, twelve inches; mangels, 

 twelve inches ; sugar beets, nine inches ; and carrots, 

 eight inches. The average distance to leave between 

 the plants is about two-thirds of the distance named 

 as the maximum. It is seldom necessary, how- 

 ever, to thin the plants when they are grown 

 as soiling food. 



The horse cultivation given should be frequent 

 and should continue until the leaves of the plants 

 come together or nearly together between the rows. 



Feeding. The feeding of field roots is a very 

 simple but somewhat tedious process. They are 

 pulled up by hand and laid in piles, or thrown directly 

 into a hand barrow, or some form of wagon or truck 

 drawn by horses. Field roots should only be thrown 

 in piles for future drawing when it is not convenient 

 at the time to have the means of conveyance at hand, 

 or when there may be opportunity to lift the plants 

 a few days in advance of the feeding. This may be 

 done in late autumn without serious injury to the 

 plants, but not when the weather is warm. The 

 roots are of course handled with forks after they 

 have been lifted. 



