PRACTICAL PAPERS—SUGAR-BEET AND BEET SUGAR. 251 
portant not to delay the operation, because immediately after 
weeding they increase rapidly in size and strength, and are 
prepared to resist the injurious effects of heat and drought. 
If, on the contrary, the weeding should be delayed till the 
beets have become strong they would grow up with only two 
leaves, and their future growth would be retarded. 
Only the strongest plants of each cluster are permitted to 
grew up. When the weeding has been once thoroughly done 
it will be seldom necessary to repeat it; the growth will be 
sufficiently active to cause the leaves of the young plants to 
cover the summit of the hills. Toward the end of May the 
plants are hoed a second time, the grounds on the sides of the 
hills and between them being loosened by a light plow from 
which the share and coulter have been removed. A plow is 
preferred to a cultivator, for the hill is cut by it on both of its 
declivities and the weeds are buried and made to rot in the 
middle of the small furrow. By this treatment the soil is also 
aired and fertilized, and the summit of the hill remains to be 
hoed by hand. A cultivator scratches up the soil without 
fully tearing up the weeds and necessitates a liberal use of the 
hoe to complete the work. 
Hilling Toward the middle of June, when the beet 
roots have acquired a strong growth, earthing up or hilling is 
done. This is an important operation in which care must be 
exercised if a large crop is desired.' It is of as much import¬ 
ance as deep plowing, without which a good harvest is impos¬ 
sible. The plow used to prepare the ground for hoeing is also 
used for this operation, but the coulter and share are not re¬ 
moved. At the time of sowing, the hills being made very 
flat, the roots strike into the earth to the entire depth of the 
loosened soil. In this second plowing the earth is thrown up 
above the collar of the beet root, and thus allows it to develop 
toward the summit of the hill, while at the same time it pene¬ 
trates into the soil and a'*quires often a length of from forty to 
fifty centimeters. Care must be taken not to leave the collar 
of the beet uncovered, in which case it would contain far less 
saccharine matter than the rest of the root. 
