102 THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 
plished by a deep, straight cut across the beet without whittling, including the base 
of the rough portion of the top, from which the leaves grow 
It is important that the top of the beet be cut off down to the neck so as to in- 
clude with the top all that portion of the beet to which the stems of the leaves have 
been attached. ‘‘The object of removing this portion of the beet is to prevent the 
mineral salts, which have accumulated in large quantities therein, from entering the 
factory. These mineral salts exercise a very deleterious influence on the crystalliza- 
tion of the sugar, and therefore should be removed. They are well fitted for fertili- 
zing purposes and are of more value when left upon the soil than when removed to the 
factory.’’ These tops of the beets, with the attached leaves, are admuirable for 
fodder. 
Another important point in harvesting beets is to have them as tree from dirt as 
possible. When beets arrive at the Nebraska factories, an average 50 lbs is taken 
from each load. They are then thoroughly washed and examined to see if properly 
topped, then weighed again, the loss determining the tare. The greater the amount of 
dirt on the roots or the more improperly they are topped, the larger is the loss in 
weight or tare. The farmer not only has to stand this loss but he also bears the ex- 
pense of hauling and handling this unnecessary dirt. Not only that, but the dirt 
adhering to the roots is the finest part of the soil and very often the richest and best 
portion, and in a few years, a surprising amount of soil is thus taken from the land. 
Some careful beet growers not only try to deliver beets as clean as possible, but in- 
stead of returning with their wagons empty, load up with the waste deposited from 
the washer at the factory, which contains not only the rich earth that has been 
washed from the beets, but also the tip ends of roots, etc, all of which possess ferti- 
lizing value of importance. 
Several harvesting machines to both dig and top the beets have been tried but up 
to the past season, all have been discarded. Numerous clever and practical minds are 
at work on the problem and it is probable that a satisfactory machine to take the 
beets from the soil and top them will soon be perfected. There are several very suc- 
cessful machines for simply digging or plowing out the beets, several of which are 
shown in the accompanying illustrations. 
The beets, after being topped, are then thrown into wagons, covered with sacking 
and hauled to the factory, or stored in silos in the ground. In delivering beets 
from the field to the factory, wagons hauled by horses or mules are usually employed 
in this country. It is a question, however, whether a mure economical method is not 
possible, when the factory is in the midst of the beet fields. In this case, a movable 
railway with light rails and sleepers, that could be moved quickly and cheaply as the 
beets were harvested, would enable one horse to draw a car containing more beets 
than the ordinary two-horse wagon will carry. An overhead trolley upon which bas- 
kets of beets are drawn by ropes might be used, or on a large scale, where a factory 
is equipped with electricity, a movable overhead trolley employing electrical power 
to push the car along, might be feasible. Beets cannot be hauled by wagon more 
than from 4 to 8 miles without its costing more than the traffic will bear. Of course 
