120 



THE SUGAR BEET. 



system. Here the first apparent advantage is that, the 

 beet having suflScient soil to penetrate, the neck will 

 not grow above the ground, and, having but little resist- 

 ance to overcome, the root will become long and thin, 

 which shape is desirable. 



There no longer exists the danger of the ordinary- 

 method of planting, which is a dread of crowding 

 when nearer than seven inches, but, on the contrary, 

 they can be planted as close as six inches. This alone 

 greatly augments the yield per acre. This distance of 

 thirty-one inches between lines permits a cart to enter 

 to collect the roots after harvesting, or to bring the 

 required manure. 



If we consider the manner in which the root here 

 grows, great advantages will become apparent. (See 



Fig. 25. 



Showing the roots in their places during the last period of their growth. 



fig. 25.) In the ordinary system of cultivation the 

 leaves soon cover the ground and prevent the soil from 



