HARVESTING 241 



Thinning Young Plants. This is considered one of the 

 most difficult parts of beet growing. Thinning should begin 

 when the plants first form their second pair of leaves. Eight-inch 

 hoes are used to remove most of the surplus plants. This work 

 should leave the plants standing in bunches eight to twelve inches 

 apart in the row. This first step in thinning is sometimes called 

 bunching. The bunches are then thinned by hand, leaving only 

 one strong plant in a place. By the work of thinning the individual 

 beets grow large and the yield is heavier (Fig. 170). 



Cultivation. If the seed should not start promptly after 

 planting the harrow should be used several times to keep the weeds 

 under control until the plants are started. One cultivation may 

 take place before thinning and another should follow immedi- 

 ately after thinning. If at this time the field is free from weeds 



Fia. 171. Students harvesting sugar beets on their school farm in Wisconsin. 



probably no hoeing will be necessary. Several cultivations should 

 follow to keep the soil surface in good condition, to stimulate the 

 growth and conserve the moisture. After the tops shade the ground 

 cultivation should cease. 



Harvesting. The beets are lifted from the ground by 

 means of special beet lifters drawn by one or two horses. Some- 

 times a plow is used with a side prong at the back of the mold 

 board, which aids in holding the beets up out of the soil after the 

 mold board has lifted them. 



The roots are then picked up by hand (Fig. 171), thrown into 

 the piles, with one row of piles for each ten or twelve rows of beets. 

 The next step is to remove the tops. This is usually done by hand 

 with large knives, resembling large butcher knives, or small corn 

 knives. As the tops are cut off the roots are thrown together four 

 small piles forming one large one. 

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