1911.] Sugar Beet Industry in Norfolk. 205 



or horse-hoe must be got to work, and at that time a top- 

 dressing of nitrate of soda, 15 per cent, nitrogen, about 1 cwt. 

 per acre, is to be given. The rows will be plainly visible in a 

 favourable season in twenty-one days.* 



About a fortnight later, the plants being strong enough, 

 the cutting-out is to commence, and that is done by crossing 

 the drilling with the imported horse hoe, and then the final 

 singling is done by hand-picking. The plants then will be 

 either 13 inches or 14 inches from row to row, and singled 

 to about 13 inches apart. A second dressing of 1 cwt. nitrate 

 of soda is then recommended. 



The crop must afterwards be kept clean by constant horse- 

 hoeing as long as possible, as well as by hand-hoeing. By 

 about July the leaves should cover the land, and so render 

 further work impossible. 



Drilling. — We have had the use of three imported Dutch 

 drills, two of which drilled the seed (" Kleinwanzlebener ") 

 14 inches, and one 13 inches from row to row, at the rate of 

 16 lb. per acre, quite shallow, not more than f in. to 1 in. 

 deep, all on the flat. They are a novelty to us as regards 

 construction, but are the general-purpose drill, as used 

 generally in Holland, and are capable when all the seed 

 coulters are in work of drilling 1 1 rows at a time. 



They have a front steerage operated by a lever at the back, 

 so that it is possible for one man to drive the horse and 

 attend to the drilling at the same time, and an expert can 

 cover about 12 acres per day. The attachment for the horse 

 is such that it gives great liberty, and it is not necessary for 

 the horse to walk particularly straight ; in fact, so long as he 

 keeps in the right direction, it allows the drilling to be 

 done to a nicety and compare favourably with that done 

 with a back-steerage drill. The drill is put in and out of 

 work by a lever in a very similar manner to an American 

 drill. 



Hoeing. — As we have had excellent weather, the beets have 

 germinated very quickly, and at the end of May horse-hoeing 

 was in full swing, the plants showing well with four leaves. 



This year seed was drilled on April 19th, 20th, 21st, and horse machines started 

 on May 24th, 25th ; so that the interval was more than 21 days. 



