Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1902 — SUGAR BEETS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SUGAR BEETS.

The Time For Harvesting - Storing or Sllotnv—Fronen Beets. The time of harvesting ls governed by the time of ripening of the beets. This ripening is made apparent by the outside leaves of the plant taking on a yellowish tinge and drooping to the ground. An experienced eye soon learns to detect a field of ripe beets that Is ready for harvesting. The beets having now finished their work, the next step of the grower must be governed by his locality. If he ls In a section where there ls a probability of rain, the beets must be harvested and placed in silos. This should be the case In most of the sections where rain conditions prevail. Such places usually have heavy rains In September and October, followed by more or less warm weather. The effect of the rain will be to cause the beets to begin growing again, and, if the rains are heavy and followed by warm days, it is possible for a whole crop to be lost, so far as fitness for factory purposes ls concerned. It is the custom In such localities to haul the beets to the factory If possible. If It is not possible to do this, they are gathered and placed In long ricks or piles on the surface of the ground. The bases of these ricks or piles are from three to three and a half feet wide and the height from three to four feet, tapering toward the top. Along each side of each rick several furrows are run with a stirring plow In order to loosen the dirt The ricks are then completely covered with this dirt by the use of shovels. This covering ls put on to the depth of about six Inches, occasional air spaces or ventilators being Jes t on the tops of the ricks, for which purpose ls commonly used tiling or small elongated wooden boxes or simply straw, the object being to prevent fermentation. Storing the beets In this way ls called “siloing,” and the ricks or piles are called “silos.” These silos are closely watched, in order that no heating may occur to cause fermentation, which lessens the sugar content of the beet. The ricks are opened occasionally by way of inspection. It ls the aim of the grower, as already stated, to get the beets to the factory as soon as possible, but this will depend on “his turn.” In case he ls delayed In this way until cold weather comes on, these silos are covered with straw, manure or something of that sort, and then an additional amount of dirt ls thrown on the straw covering. In this way It has been found that the beets will keep In very good condition until the last of January If necessary. In this connection Charles F. Sayler, a special Investigator for the department of agriculture and authority for the foregoing, states that It does not necessarily follow that the beets are lost even If they should be frozen solid, as the factories can readily work them frozen, and, In fact, some factory superintendents say they prefer to work frozen beets. The one thing to be guarded against in the case of frozen beets ls thawing. In California, where rain or freezing ls not liable to occur, after the beets have ripened and have gone Into this state of rest they are allowed to remain In the field until the grower ls notified by the factory that his beets must be delivered, when they are harvested and taken to the factory. Thns the expense of siloing is avoided. Convenient In Apple Picking. In picking apples a good sack spread ls very convenient, says an Ohio Farmer writer. When picking winter apples, as a rule, we take a mill sack and put an apple In a corner In the bottom of the sack and a string through the comer at the top. Then, tying the Btring around above the apple, one has a shoulder basket, as illustrated. In order to have both hands free, many apple pickers will cut a short stick and by sharpening both ends push each end through the sack, as shown at the top of the dotted line In

Fig. 1. This Is very good If It doe* not fall out, but that “measly” stick la continually coming out by wearing larger holes In the sack. To save all such trouble take a piece of heavy, smooth wire, bend It In the shape of the letter U, as shown by Fig. 2, and slip the wire on the outside of the sack, as at the dotted line. Turn the edge of the sack back over the wire and with a darning needle and good cording string commence at one ring end, hem the sack thoroughly clear around to the other end of wire and sew It well, especially at the ring ends. You will then have & handy and convenient sack spread. In some Utah tests wheat sown In November gave better results than the earlier sown.

A SHOULDER BAG FOB APPLES.