PREPARATION OF THE SOIL, OR TILLAGE. 121 



receiving the light, heat, and air which are requisite for 

 the growth of the root. But here, on the contrary, 

 they are elevated, the air can penetrate freely, the light 

 also, as the distance between the lines is such that 

 even an excessive growth of the leaves will not ob- 

 struct the same, and if it does, nothing prevents aug- 

 menting the distance between the hills from summit 

 to summit. 



If heavy rains occur they find an easy passage, and 

 the subsoil filtration producing disease, etc., is but 

 little to be dreaded. The air circulates most freely 

 between these hills, and keeps the soil in a perfect 

 state of moisture, and the formation of hard crusts on 

 the surface is not to be dreaded. 



The leaves, which long before harvesting commence 

 to wither in the ordinary system of cultivation, in con- 

 sequence of the radiated heat from the soil, will remain 

 in a perfect state until the full growth of the root. 

 There remains to consider the hoeing. In cultivating 

 in drills we would not recommend any mechanical de- 

 vice for this operation, as there exists a continual 

 danger of harming the young root, and it has to be 

 accomplished by hand labor, and even then there 

 is continual danger of cutting the small roots ad- 

 hering to the exterior portion of the beet, which, as 

 some admit, greatly help the formation of the sugar. 

 This is but little to be dreaded when the beet grows in 

 hills, as these are out of reach. The mechanical hoe 

 drawn by one horse can enter between the hills with 



