]922.] 



Sugar Bkkt Guowixc. 



69 



Harvesting. — This begins at the end of September and con- 

 tinues till mid-November. Slight frosts will not harm the roots, 

 and it is better to delay the lifting till the ground is really needed 

 for preparation for the next crop. The late lifting allows the 

 action that follows the application of large dressings of potash 



3 Ft.' - > 



• ■> G-raFt Tool. 



Si^. > 



Fig^Se-'ToppiTig Knife • 



manures to become completed, and larger quantities of sugar 

 are formed and stored in the roots. The crop can 

 be ploughed out with a special light plough, or a satisfactory 

 substitute for this can be made by removing the mould 

 boards from a common single furrow plough and so adjusting 

 the wheels that the chisel-pointed share cuts to a depth of 9 or 

 10 inches. This method is not recommended except where the 

 farmer can personally supervise the work, for it increases the 

 possibility of damage to the roots. 



The practice usually adopted in Holland and Belgium is lifting 

 by hand. When the soil is dry and friable, the labourer uses 

 a short, stout two-pronged fork as shown in Fig. 1. This fork 

 is about 7 inches long, with the prongs not more than 4 inches 



