AMERICAN BEET SUGAR. 27 



When the plants are about two inches in height it will be discovered that there 

 are too many in the row ; it is then time to thin the plants to a uniform distance. 

 This is done most economically by having hoes cut to 4 inches in width and made 

 sharp. One man with the hoe will strike out the spaces for two or three " thin- 

 ners." He leaves the little beets in bunches, 6 to 8 inches apart. The "thinner" 

 deftly pulls out all but one. More than one beet in a place means ruin to the 

 whole bunch. In the struggle for mastery they become twisted around each other 

 and none are worth harvesting. So never leave but one beet in a place. In poor 

 land thin to 10 inches apart ; in fairly rich soil 8 inches is best ; in very rich land, 

 4 to 6 inches is to be preferred. Large beets are not desired. 



The thinning in small beet fields can generally be done by the family of the 

 farmer, but must be done quickly, and it is economy to hire labor rather than 

 put the work off until the beets have attained much size, as the pulling out of the 

 surrounding beets leaves the survivor in a weak condition, which is not noticeable 

 when the plant is just beginning to send its root down into the earth. In large 

 fields the thinning is done by contract, the price varying from $3 to $5 per acre, 

 depending entirely upon the stand, the condition of soil, weeds, etc. 



After the thinning the plants will look weak, and it will be forty-eight hours 

 before they have gained strength to hold their heads up. 



CULTIVATION. Now begin the cultivating with the horse hoe ; the old fash- 

 ioned corn cultivator must not be used. The Moline beet cultivator is the best 

 yet made. You cannot cultivate too often. Keep the ground mellow, the weeds 

 down, and nature will do the rest. Do not hill the beets. The crown of the beet, 

 from whence the leaves branch out, should never be covered with dirt, nor should 

 the cultivation bring the dirt away from the beet. When the leaf surface is large 

 enough and the ground almost covered, the work with the horse and cultivator is 

 done; to lacerate the leaves by further use of the horse would injure the plant. 

 But later, weeds must be pulled, and one man can be kept busy all the time on 

 twent} T acres, until the harvest time has come, cutting or pulling weeds. 



Maturity of the beet can only be determined by the chemist, but ordinarily, 

 when that period arrives, the dark green of the leaf disappears, the outer leaves 

 wither and die, and the central leaves turn a golden yellow, save very late in the 

 season, when these notable indications of maturity are absent; yet the analysis 

 shows high sugar with a corresponding co-efficient purity. When the chemist dis- 

 covers that the beet is from 14 to 20 per cent, sugar with co-efficient purity 80 to 

 85, the sooner that crop is harvested the better. 



But it is not possible to harvest thousands of acres at once; the factory can only 

 consume its quota; the beet sheds and pits will only hold a few thousand tons; 

 then comes the necessity for wisdom on the part of the field superintendent. He 

 must distribute the order for beets among all the ripe fields, showing no partiality. 

 It is far better for the farmer to be ready, and rush his harvest when his order 

 comes, and best results are only attained when the factory and the farmer work 

 together. This means: the farmer plows and plants in proper season, is never be- 

 hind in his work, never undertakes more acreage than he can well handle with 

 profit. There can be no question but that small farm units are best for all concerned. 



With the harvesting comes the need of a suitable wagon. The tires should 

 be at least 4 inches, with axle trees strong enough to support five tons of 

 beets. An extra bolster is put on , that the body frame may be set up high enough 



