246 THE SUGAR BEET. 



to another are taken fi'om the ends, the precaution being 

 taken to cover the same immediately with straw. 



A system adopted in the Palatinate, where the beets 

 are planted with the idea of feeding cattle, gives satis- 

 faction. A trench is dug having 1 m. (3.28 feet) in 

 depth and 1.50 m. (4.92 feet) at the bottom, and 2 m. 

 (6.56 feet) at the top ; the roots are thrown in until 

 within a few inches of the surface, and it is then filled with 

 earth. Here we have no ventilation, the evaporation 

 is great, and the resulting vapors condense at the bot- 

 tom ; the beets in immediate contact with this soon 

 decompose, but the consequence is not of very great 

 importance. (See fig. 51.) One of the first ideas for 



Fig. 5L 



Silo where beets are placed in the Palatinate. 



ventilating silos above ground consisted in building a 

 cone about 3 m. (9.8 feet) in height. (See fig. 52.) A 

 stick is placed in the ground in a vertical position, the 

 roots are placed around the same, each ]a,jer being a 

 fraction smaller than its pi'ecedent ; when near the top 

 this centre is extracted ; thus leaving a chimney where 

 the gases can escape; this is covered with a small 

 quantity of straw when the exterioi* temperature is 



