26 BULLETIN 748, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the hoeing was done by the farm labor was more than the contract 
rate, while in the Ohio district it was considerably less. The amount 
of work that can be accomplished in a given time is exceedingly 
variable, since so much depends on the number of weeds present. 
Again, in Ohio the farmers did a portion of the hand labor and 
contracted the remainder. Hence the number of acres hoed per farm 
was less than the acreage planted to beets. 
Seventeen per cent of the farmers did the work of hoeing with their 
own labor. The average number of times hoed per farm varied from 
one to one and one-half times. 
LIFTING. 
The beets are ready to be lifted or to be “ plowed out” just as soon 
as they are mature. The time is determined by a sugar test made 
by the sugar-factory representative. The lifting period extends from 
about the middle of September until December 1. (See Table XTV.) 
TABLE NIV.—Lifting. 
| Acresin beets per | Hours of labor per 
Per cent farm. | acre. Labor 
District. ofall cost 
records. | nee 
Total. Lifted. Man. Horse. cuESS 
Caer se as ae see Se ay te ue Sra tee 100 15. 06 15. 03 4. 60 10. 61 $1. 91 
PANN Re hep os Vests wh enn oe. oe hoe See 100 9.5 9. 54 4.14 8.35 1. 66 
Grandoka prs: jean Pete ee 100 6. 40 6.14 4, 44 8.88 1.78 
INOEtHWeStCER  ORIO= 252 22 222k Seat oe ee 100 15. 82 LeEarivs 4,49 9. 06 1.80 
Two types of implements are used in doing the work, the crotch 
lifter (fig. 19) and the side lifter. The crotch lifter consists of two 
bowed standards, each of which is equipped with a sharp projecting 
point, while the side lifter has only one point on the end of a long, 
thin cutting-blade. The points of the crotch lifter run on either side 
of the row, while that of the side lifter runs on one side only. The 
beets are loosened and slightly raised, from which position they are 
easily pulled and thrown into piles. The side lifter has a lighter 
draft and is the type usually found in these regions. The crotch lifter 
was found on only 49 farms. 
The typical crew for all sections except the Caro district consisted 
of 1 man and 2 horses. There were 43 men in the latter district who 
used a 1-man and 3-horse crew. Slightly less than 2 acres constituted 
a day’s work. However, it was customary to lift only enough beets 
at one time to keep the hand labor busy. 
TOPPING. 
This operation goes hand in hand with lifting and hauling. After 
being loosened with a lifter the beets are then removed by hand (fig. 
20) and the tops cut off squarely with a heavy beet knife, just under 
