GROWING SUGAR BEETS 155 



Beets which show signs of distress will be discarded or discounted 

 at the factory. The beet must be symmetrical, smooth and fine 

 all of which are signs of thrift in a beet as they are in a well-bred 

 animal. 



Thinning. Excellence in beets is also dependent upon each 

 having adequate soil-room and plant food. It is impossible to get 

 proper spacing by any scheme of seed dropping. It is necessary to 

 sow too thickly in order to get a uniform stand ; the spacing of the 

 beets must be done afterward. By using a narrow hoe crosswise 

 to the rows, the plants can be quickly thinned to clumps or groups, 

 from which all but the strongest plant are pulled by hand. Thin- 

 ning should be begun when the seedlings are small say from two 

 to four leaves. It is easier to do it well at this stage, and it is 

 vastly better for the beets which are to stand, for it does not dis- 

 place the soil nor disturb their rooting, as when it is done too late. 

 Beets should stand eight to ten inches apart in the row, according 

 to the soil. Where the soil is very rich and the beets likely to over- 

 grow the two-pound average, which is most acceptable to the fac- 

 tory, they should be allowed to stand nearer in the row. After 

 thinning, the surface cultivation must proceed for weed cutting and 

 surface loosening until the beet leaves cover the ground. The field 

 is then laid by until harvesting. 



Irrigation. Irrigation is the surety of proper development of 

 the beet, as of other plants, though a large part of the California 

 product comes through by rainfall. The grower must follow the 

 discussion of this subject in special publications and become wise 

 also by experience and observation under his own local conditions. 

 It is becoming more and more clearly demonstrated that the beet 

 should be brought to the thinning stage by rainfall or by irrigation 

 before planting, if possible ; also that water should be handled pref- 

 erably in furrows to avoid the ill effects upon the soil and the plant 

 by surface flooding. Irrigation should be stopped a month or so 

 before harvesting to favor maturity and development of a good 

 sugar content. 



Harvesting As the outer leaves of the beet turn yellow and 

 drop to the ground, maturity arrives. It is usual for the factory 

 to notify the grower when his crop is ready. The beet can stand 

 long in the soil without losing sugar percentage, but the factory 

 cannot use all the beets at the moment of their readiness, and, there- 

 fore, some growers have to wait for delivery until the opening of 

 the rainy season, and that is not pleasant or profitable. It is desir- 

 able, therefore, that seeding should be done at different times, as 

 each kind of land in the locality comes into condition, and thus pro- 

 long both the harvesting season and the factory season. On this 

 point local advice should be taken from the contracting purchaser. 



Beet harvesting is now done cheaply by means of implements 

 and machines of California design and construction, which either 

 loosen or completely dislodge the beet. Topping, or removing the 



