85 



It is therefore, prudent as soon as the plant has reached 

 maturity to profit of the first favorable occasion to secure 

 it against any adverse contingencies ; more particularly as 

 the chance of these increases as the season advances. 



There are other advantages exceedingly important in 

 gathering the beet in dry weather ; for instance, the dig- 

 ging is much facilitated, and the earth attached to the 

 fibres of the roots is easily detached by simply shaking 

 it when dry, whilst when wet it adheres firmly, and in con- 

 siderable quantities, so that it requires more expense for 

 carriage to the factory, is more difficult to clean, and oc- 

 casions a collection of earth where cleaned which more or 

 less embarasses this operation. When the root is out of 

 the ground, and the weather dry and warm, it should be 

 left in the field where it will be improved for all the pur- 

 poses of manufacture; the state of the roads too is more 

 favorable for wagoning in fine weather, and this is no tri- 

 fling consideration, when it is a question of the carriage of 

 perhaps several hundred tons. 



Having now taken a general view of the harvesting the 

 beet, it may be well to consider the details of this operation 

 separately. 



1st The disfCTlnof. 



2 The mode of cutting off the top. 



3 The collecting in piles and carriage to the store 



houses. 

 Section I. When the time for taking up the beets 

 has arrived, a number of laborers proportionate to the 

 amount of work and the celerity required in its execution, 

 is to be provided, to dig, top, and pile them for the wag- 

 gons. The workmen are divided two and two; to each 

 couple one spade is neccessary and this given to the strong- 

 est hand, who forces it perpendicularly, into the ground 

 near the beet, but so as to avoi^l injuring it, and usin?^ the 



