THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY. 83 
inches deep with an ordinary plow, follow it with a good subsoil plow that will stir 
the subsoil to a depth of 5 to 7 inches more, thus giving an open soil to a depth of 14 
to 17 inches, This subsoiling is often neglected, but it is essential for two reasons: 
(1) It gives a deep soil for the beet root to grow down into draining its food from 
the lower depths, and also preventing the top of the root from growing out of the 
ground; this makes a smooth conical beet of moderate size, richest in sugar and 
easily harvested. When the Jand does not freeze, as in California, this plowing should 
be done two or four months before seeding. 
In case the plowing has not been done in the fall, plow as early in the spring as 
the ground will do to handle without sticking, for three reasons: 1, Because the 
sooner the weeds are encouraged to grow, the more of them can be killed before 
planting the beets; 2, because land plowed while the weather is cool will retain the 
OTHER STYLES OF SUBSOIL PLOWS. 
moisture much longer than it will if plowed during warm weather; 3, because it is 
much better to allow the ground to settle as much as possible after plowing and bhe- 
fore the preparation of the seed bed, so that it will become thoroughly packed, thus 
insuring better and quicker germination. In the spring never throw up more than 
two inches of soil that hai not been stirred before; if your soil has never been plowed 
over six inches, it is better to use a subsoil plow to loosen the ground to the proper 
depth. These instructions refer only to spring plowing; when good land with deep 
soil is plowed in the fall it makes little difference how much new soil is turned up, 
as it would decay in winter through the action of the frost, but on thinner soils, this 
trouble can always be obviated by the subsoiler. 
After spring plowing, harrow, or better, drag once immediately, and then leave 
the ground as it is until the time to prepare the seed bed, thus allowing the weeds 
to sprout. If the previous crop was corn, it is absolutely necessary to take the stalks 
and roots off the ground in the right manner in order tc permit of easy and proper 
