OTHER FARM CROPS 637 



Good judgment is also required in selecting the proper time for 

 planting, when the soil is moist enough and warm enough to thor- 

 oughly germinate the seed. Information and advice on all of these 

 points can be obtained from the agricultural superintendents of the 

 sugar factories. The farmer should not follow his own judgment, 

 and then hold the sugar factory responsible for poor results after- 

 wards. His own judgment will be a good guide for him after he has 

 had considerable experience in growing the beets, the same as with 

 other crops. It will then be worth as much to him as anybody else's 

 experience, if not more, because he will understand better the action 

 of his soil with beets after its manipulation for a series of years. 

 Until such a time arrives, he is bound to follow the advice of those 

 especially provided by the factory for that purpose. In fact, as a 

 rule, he should always secure the benefit of the advice and judgment 

 of these factory experts. (0. of E. S. Cir. 11.) 

 s Harvesting. After the crops have matured, -the next work of 

 the grower is the harvesting. The time to harvest is usually indi- 

 cated by the agriculturist of the sugar factory for which the beets are 

 destined, and notice is given to the grower to deliver his beets to the 

 factory. An expert in sugar-beet growing can easily discern when 

 beets are ripe. The leaves droop and take on a yellow cast. The 

 sooner they are harvested after this the better, as they have reached 

 their maximum of sugar content and purity. Warm fall rains are 

 liable to start a new growth of the beets, causing them to send out 

 a fresh supply of rootlets. This has a tendency to lower the purity 

 and sugar content of the beets. If it is apparent that the crop can 

 not be received at the factory at some time in the near future, the 

 beets should be harvested and siloed. The contract usually provides 

 for following the orders of the factory in this respect, and this is 

 the safest course. 



Siloing is performed by taking the beets after they are harvested 

 and placing them in piles, covering them with dirt to prevent evapo- 

 ration and freezing, and increasing the dirt covering as the weather 

 grows colder. There are many methods of siloing in use. The usual 

 one consists in piling the beets in long ricks, pyramidal in shape, with 

 a base of about 6 feet and a height of about 4% feet. If straw, beet 

 leaves, old hay, or anything of the kind is used, it should be placed 

 on the rick after the dirt. If it is placed on the beets before the dirt, 

 it is liable, by the pressure of the dirt, to adhere to the beets. When 

 they reach the factory this litter interferes with the further manipu- 

 lation of the beets ; it clogs the ditches, and some of it still adheres to 

 the beets after they are washed and interferes with the slicing. For 

 several reasons it is undesirable to place straw, beet leaves, or the 

 like on the beets first. 



There are many kinds of harvesters in use. A very common 

 kind is a long-shanked plow, similar to the stirring plow, with a long 

 slender share which cuts off the beets about 9 or 10 inches below the 

 surface, the moldboard throwing them over on their side, after which 

 they are picked up. Another very common variety of harvester is an 

 implement in the shape of a plow. Instead of a moldboard it has 



