19 



the beet, at this period, that is during the month of 

 August, is forming its sugar, and this is again an 

 important period for the final result. If the beets 

 have grown with favorable' surroundings, and the 

 months of August and September are warm and 

 dry but not without some frequent showers of rain 

 we are certain, that with every thing else favor- 

 able, our beets will ripen perfectly and will yield juice 

 of great richness and remarkable purity. 



We cannot always expect to have such favorable 

 conditions as that I have just mentioned ; they do 

 not happen every, year. Does this mean that for the 

 years in which things are not quite so, that the beets 

 will not be good ! Let us reject all such notions. In 

 the value of the yield from the earth, there is a 

 maximum and minimum yield, between which is 

 found the average. Crops above the average are 

 considered as good, and as better the nearer they ap- 

 proach the maximum. On the other hand there 

 are, under the average, various degrees more 

 and more unfavorable. Each year will give different 

 returns of beets as well in quantity as in quality. 

 All crops are subject to these fluctuations. 



3 PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



I mean by preparation of the soil, all those 

 mechanical operations which are necessary to adapt 

 it to receive the seed of the beets, to mellow it, and 

 to place the fertilizing principles contained in it, in 

 such a condition that they may be assimilated by 



