638 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



two shanks, each terminating with a prong like a finger. These are 

 forced through the soil, one on each side of the row of beets at a 

 depth of about 9 or 10 inches. The opening between the two fingers 

 gradually lessens as the beets pass through the space between them 

 until finally the taproots are broken and the beets are lifted 2 or 3 

 inches from their position in the soil, whence they are easily extracted 

 by a person following the plow. 



Topping is a feature of harvesting which consists in removing 

 the crown and leaves of the beet by a single stroke of a knife in the 

 hands of the operator. It is the purpose of this operator to cleave 

 the beet at the sun line, indicated by the discoloring of that part of 

 the beet just above the surface of the soil. After the beets are topped 

 they are thrown into piles or in wagons, or are sacked preparatory to 

 their delivery to the factory. (0. of E. S. Cir. 11.) 



Delivering Beets to the Factory. After they are harvested and 

 thrown in piles in the field the beets are usually loaded into wagons 

 and hauled directly to the factory or to a railway station for ship- 

 ment to the factory. Ordinary farm wagons are often used for this 

 purpose ; but wagons especially designed for this work are more sat- 

 isfactory, and hence are widely used. The bottom and sides of the 

 wagon bed are made of slats with one-half to 1 inch spaces between. 

 As the beets are hauled the shaking and rubbing of the beets tends 

 to free them of adhering soil, which falls out through the cracks. 

 The ends of the wagon bed are stationary and the sides are hinged 

 so as to drop down. These wagons will hold from 3 to 6 tons. A net 

 of rope having from 2 to 3 inch mesh is spread in the wagon first, 

 and on this the beets are thrown. On arrival at the factory the side 

 next the bin is lowered and the projecting net on the other side is 

 fastened to a tackle and raised by power. In this -way the load is 

 dumped quickly and with little labor. Sometimes nets are used as 

 a means of lifting beets from ordinary farm wagons. 



Where the beets are shipped by rail a special dumping apparatus 

 is installed at the shipping point. The usual form of railroad 

 dump is a high platform approached by a long incline. The loaded 

 wagon is drawn up, the team is unhitched, the wagon locked on the 

 platform, the side dropped, and the platform tipped by machinery. 

 In this way the load is dumped. With another style of dump the 

 wagon is not driven up on a platform, but is left on the ground, the 

 wagon bed being lifted to a height and then dumped. 



In cases where there is no railroad dump, a car is placed on a 

 siding and the beets are shoveled into it. 



When delivering to the factory, the farmer need not go home 

 with an empty wagon; he can collect manure to be used in fertil- 

 izing his fields or can obtain a load of pulp for feed. Most fac- 

 tories, hi their contracts with farmers, stipulate that a certain per- 

 centage of the weight of the beets delivered can be taken back in 

 the form of pulp. This is a valuable cattle food and the farmer 

 should not miss the opportunity to use it. 



Taring. In shoveling the beets into wagons for delivery to the 

 factory, a certain amount of extraneous matter, such as stems, tops, 



