164 The Sugar-Beet in America 
the water-table to the surface; the depth of the pit is 
frequently less than given above and the thickness of tops 
made up by extending the pile above ground. Less work 
is required in covering the silage if the trench is not too 
wide. Sufficient width, however, should be given to 
allow the wagon carrying the tops to be driven freely 
carts fill 
Ses asd leaves 
a 
Sz WE MS WE 
Ve Sin Shee 
Fig. 25. — Beet-top silo below ground. 
over them. This aids in compacting the tops. In 
scraping the trench out, the ends are left sloping enough 
to allow the wagon to pass easily in and out. In esti- 
mating the size of the excavation, usually it is assumed 
that the yield of silage will be about one-half the weight 
of the roots and that a ton of the green tops will occupy 
thirty-eight cubic feet. 
In order that as small a proportion as possible of the 
tops shall spoil, six to eight inches of straw are spread 
