PRACTICAL PAPERS—SUGAR-BEET AND BEET SUGAR. 247 
and manure, the depth of the fertile ground at the same time 
being increased. 
Argillaceous soils are all twice ploughed before winter, and 
must be ready before the heavy frosts. It has been noticed 
that, after thawing, these soils become very friable, and that 
part of a field which is ploughed before the frost yields a crop 
far superior to that part of the same field ploughed in the 
spring. Light soils are ploughed in the spring, when manure 
can be more freely used, large quantities being produced dur¬ 
ing factory work, which lasts from September 15, till January 
31, during which time the largest number of oxen are fattened. 
The same methods of tillage are employed on soils on which 
oats have been sown the year before, and on which a crop of 
beets is to be grown, as on those which have grown one crop 
of beets and are to be again planted for a second crop. 
Manuring .—As soon as harvest is over manure is hauled 
from the stables to the fields, at the rate of from fifty to sixty 
cubic meters to the hectare, on soils on which oats have been 
grown, and which are to be planted with beets. On soils on 
which a second crop of beets is to be raised the same amount 
of manure should be us§d, although growers are often obliged 
to content themselves with less. Stiff and clayey soils are first 
manured and ploughed, and the ploughing should commence 
as soon as the manure is spread over the ground, the weather 
permitting, in order to have it perfectly mixed with the whole 
mass of earth. 
Cultivation in Drills .—When the ground is suitably prepared 
by ploughing, the sowing is done in drills, about sixty-five or 
seventy-five centimeters apart, by means of a wheelbarrow 
drill or horse machine, which facilitates the subsequent opera¬ 
tions of hoeing and digging. Hoeing is very important, for if 
the weeds are not torn out in time the tender beet will be 
evergrown and killed. Digging must be done also without 
delay, although the operation is seldom so urgent as that of 
hoeing. After hoeing, all the places where the seed has failed 
to take root are carefully replanted. •For this purpose the 
