26 



BULLETIN 748, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the hoeing was done by the farm labor was more than the contract 

 rate, while in the Ohio district it was considerably less. The amount 

 of work that can be accomplished in a given time is exceedingly 

 variable, since so much depends on the number of weeds present. 



Again, in Ohio the farmers did a portion of the hand labor and 

 contracted the remainder. Hence the number of acres hoed per farm 

 was less than the acreage planted to beets. 



Seventeen per cent of the farmers did the work of hoeing with their 

 own labor. The average number of times hoed per farm varied from 

 one to one and one-half times. 



LIFTING. 



The beets are ready to be lifted or to be " plowed out " just as soon 

 as they are mature. The time is determined by a sugar test made 

 by the sugar-factory representative. The lifting period extends from 

 about the middle of September until December 1. (See Table XIV.) 



Table XIV '-. — Lifting. 



District- 



Per cent 



of all 

 records. 



Acres in beets per 

 farm. 



Hours of labor per 

 acre. 



Labor 

 cost 





Total. 



Lifted. 



Man. 



Horse. 



acre. 



Caro 



100 

 100 

 100 

 100 



15.06 

 9.54 

 6.40 



15.82 



15.03 

 9.54 

 6.14 



15.77 



4.60 

 4.14 

 4.44 

 4.49 



10.61 



8.35 

 8. 88 

 9.06 



$1.91 





1.66 





1.78 





1.80 







Two types of implements are used in doing the work, the crotch 

 lifter (fig. 19) and the side lifter. The crotch lifter consists of two 

 bowed standards, each of which is equipped with a sharp projecting 

 point, while the side lifter has only one point on the end of a long, 

 thin cutting-blade. The points of the crotch lifter run on either side 

 of the row, while that of the side lifter runs on one side only. The 

 beets are loosened and slightly raised, from which position they are 

 easily pulled and thrown into piles. The side lifter has a lighter 

 draft and is the type usually found in these regions. The crotch lifter 

 was found on only 49 farms. 



The typical crew for all sections except the Caro district consisted 

 of 1 man and 2 horses. There were 43 men in the latter district who 

 used a 1-man and 3-horse crew. Slightly less than 2 acres constituted 

 a day's work. However, it was customary to lift only enough beets 

 at one time to keep the hand labor busy. 



TOPPING. 



This operation goes hand in hand with lifting and hauling. After 

 being loosened with a lifter the beets are then removed by hand (fig. 

 20) and the tops cut off squarely with a heavy beet knife, just under 



