PRACTICAL PAPERS—SUGAR-BEET AND BEET SUGAR. 255 
The temperature of the pit should never exceed three, four, 
or at the most five degrees above ihe freezing point. 
The following are the methods adopted for maintaining the 
equable temperature. 
Let us suppose that when the beet pits were made the 
weather was moderately warm, about eight degrees above the 
freezing point. The temperature in such a case should be 
lowered to three or four degrees. This is done by closing the 
ends of the canal and gutters wdth straw stoppers during the 
heat of the day, when the temperature is above eight degrees, 
and by opening them in the evening and during the night 
when the temperature has fallen below that point. By intro¬ 
ducing the cool air in this way during the night and excluding 
the warm air during the day, in the course of a week the proper 
temperature will be obtained. 
To maintain the temperature of the pits at this height, it 
will be only necessary to stop up the Openings completely 
whenever the outside temperature is higher than four degrees, 
or lower than the freezing point. 
That the difference of temperature may be ascertained a 
thermometer is introduced, which indicates the temperature of 
the air passing into the lower canal, while another is placed in 
the triangular box above referred to, which will indicate the 
temperature c>f the mass of roots. 
The whole superintendence then consists in stopping and 
opening the gutters as occasion requires. In this way, with 
proper care, the beets can be preserved till the end of March, 
without sensible alteration. 
The pits are usually from twenty to twenty-five meters in 
length. When placed in a line there is about three meters be¬ 
tween them. When placed, however, in parallel lines, the 
canals are dug five meters from each other, in order that there 
may be between the pits room enough to take the earth in¬ 
tended to cover them. One thermometer will be sufficient for 
every five or ten pits. A pit twenty-five meters long and 
made as above described, will hold from forty to forty-five 
tons of beets; and if they are at the above-mentioned distances 
