116 The Sugar-Beet in America 



seeding does not produce a uniform stand, it is often 

 desirable to re-seed. It may be that the crop will have 

 to be planted several times. One of the chief causes of a 

 poor stand is a crust which forms at the surface after the 

 seed is planted and before it comes up. If the seeding is 

 light, the single plants may have difficulty pushing 

 through, whereas a heavier seeding would place several 

 plants near each other and together they could break 

 through the crust. 



Many kinds of mechanical devices are used to break 

 the crust. The roller is often employed. A very effective 

 implement consists of special wheels running directly 

 over the rows. These have spike points or knives which 

 penetrate the crust sufficiently to enable the tender 

 plants to come through without disturbing the soil enough 

 to injure the seedling. 



