THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



103 



where they are delivered to the railroad, the loaded freight cars are run by a spur 

 track direct to the factory yard or shed. 



Mr Ware says that "A great mistake made by many farmers is not to cover their 

 beets as soon as pulled, for if left on the ground they may lose 6 per cent moisture in 

 24 hours. Place them in silos, if possible at once, until needed at factory. The loss 

 of moisture can attain within a few days 20 per cent, the quality of the juice is not 



THE MATURE SUGAR BEET. 



Plant 150 or 160 days old, Vilmorin variety, with its root system, about one-twelfth natural size. 

 This plate from Bulletin 44, Nebraska experiment station, evidently reduced one-half from larger plate 

 in Bulletin 27, Division of Chemistry, United States Department of Agriculture. 



improved, changes take place, and the manufacturer frequently has considerable dif- 

 ficulty in working such beets. The farmer loses, so does the manufacturer. A neg- 

 lect of this kind is more serious than most American farmers realise." 



STORING BEETS. 



In the mild climate of California, the beets are dumped in large sheds at the fac- 

 tory, or are simply left in huge piles outdoors. The loss in sugar content seems to be 



