men and consists simply of a plank 6 feet by 10 inches by two 

 inches with two support 12 by 2 feet by 2 inches. In the center 

 of the six-foot plank is morticed an upright piece of plank of 

 similar width, two feet long, one end of which is capped with a 

 piece of sheet iron 6 inches by 2 inches, being lapped all around 

 the upper end and along the middle of the sheet iron a line nearly 

 the width of the end of the upright plank large enough to allow 

 sixty penny spikes to be snugly driven. These holes should be 

 driven 13-32 of an inch apart. The spikes, first having their 

 heads cut off, are driven perpendicularly, head end downwards 

 with the points projecting. These spikes are driven two inches 

 into the wood uniformly spaced and straight like a comb. The 

 other end of the upright plank is cut to a tenon 6 inches to the 

 shoulder of the tenon and 2 inches by 4 inches in size to fit down 

 crosswise through a mortice in the ten-inch plank. A hole 

 should be bored through the tenon one inch in diameter with 

 its center just 2% inches below the shoulder through which a 

 one-inch pin is driven underneath the long plank for the purpose 

 of stiffening. Two 1%-inch cleats should be nailed snugly on 

 the upper side of long plank to further stiffen and support it 

 and still further a couple of braces as shown, as the upright is 

 subject to considerable strain. (See cut of Ripple on page 41.) 



To work this ripple one or two men or boys can sit on either 

 end which may either rest on blocks or have fixed legs attached 

 and taking a bunch of straw not larger than they can hold tightly 

 in both hands strike the seed end of the bunch down on the 

 teeth of the comb two or three smart blows in succession. The 

 bols will be pulled off and fall to the ground. If two persons are 

 working together they should sit one on either side of the up- 

 right comb and deliver their strokes alternately in regular rhythm. 

 Strike only a small portion of the seed end of the bunch over 

 the comb, the first stroke, each succeeding stroke being made 

 farther along the straw until all the seed bols are removed. When 

 one bunch is cleared of seed it is placed alongside of the operator 

 and another bunch immediately taken, and when sufficient straw 

 has accumulated, it should again be tied in neat bundles to load 

 conveniently. They are tied with three pieces of baling twine 

 or bale rope in neat bundles about six or eight inches in diameter 

 one tied at each end and the one in the middle with the butts very 

 even and it is then ready to put in the water, these beets should 

 be tied tightly and the larger beets are the easier of 

 transportation and less bale rope is required. To make these 

 beets of good shape and tight enough for safe handling, a rough 

 box frame or box open at the side and top and closed at the ends 

 just long enough to hold two bundles apart overlapping in the 

 center, can be made, and large enough to hold just the proper 

 number of bundles without much pressing. When the box is 

 full of bundles, they can be compressed very compactly. 



In filling the box see that the butt ends of the straw are 

 evenly pressing against both ends of the box and the seed ends 

 overlapping in the center. When the box is full of bundles they 

 can be easily compressed with a lever or a Mexican windlass, 



45 



