BULLETIN 199, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



THE DRYING OF BEETS PULLED, TOPPED, THROWN INTO LARGE PILES, AND LEFT FOR 



SEVERAL DAYS. 



On October 14, 1912, a plat of sugar beets was dug with a special 

 beet plow. As rapicUy as possible the beets were pulled and topped, 

 care being taken to shake off the adhering soil. About 100 pounds 

 of the beets were then thoroughly rinsed with cold water to wash 

 off the remaining soil. They were then spread out on a lawn until 

 their surfaces were dry and again weighed to ascertain the tare. 

 The topped beets were at once weighed and piled in two piles of 

 about 500 pounds each and left uncovered in the open field. The 

 mean temperature during the experiment was 47° F. (See fig. 1.) 



Fig. 3. — A pile of sugar beets covered with beet tops to prevent evaporation and a similar pile left 

 uncovered. About 500 pounds of beets are in each pile. (See Table VI.) 



They were weighed at intervals, as shown in Table VI. The beets of 

 experiment No. 390 were thrown into two large piles, just as in exper- 

 iment No. 389, but as soon as piled they were covered with beet tops. 

 Both conditions are shown in figure 3. 



Table VI. — The drying of beets pulled, topped, and thrown into large piles, open and 



covered. 





Time of 

 weighing. 



Expo- 

 sure. 



Experiment No. 389; piles 

 left uncovered. 



Experiment No. 390; piles 

 covered with beet tops. 



Series and date. 



Weight. 



Loss. 



Weight. 



Loss. 





Pounds. 



Per cent. 



Pounds. 



Per cent. 



Series 1 : 



October 14 



2.30 p.m. 



Hours. 



Pounds. 

 496. 25 

 478. 50 

 456. 00 

 421. 50 







Pounds. 

 SOS. 25 

 505. 50 

 501.00 

 487.00 



458. 75 

 455.50 

 451.25 

 436.50 







October 15 



October 16 



...do 



...do.. 



24 

 48 

 120 



17.75 

 22.50 

 34.50 



3. 59 

 4.53 

 6.94 



2.75 

 4.50 

 14.00 



0.54 

 885 



October 19 . 



do 



2 775 









Total, 5 days... 



74.75 



15.06 



21.25 



4.180 





3p. m... 





486.25 

 475. SO 

 459.75 

 417.50 









Series 2: 



October 14 











October 15 



October 16 



October 19 



...do 



...do 



...do... . 



24 

 48 

 120 



16.75 

 15.75 

 42.25 



2.21 

 3.24 

 8.69 



3.25 '. .71 

 4.25 .93 

 14 75 ! 3 21 









Total, 5 days. . . 





14.14 



22.25 1 4.85 















