The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-10-27
SUGAR BETS.
The TiNe For Harvesting - Storing
q. SllDinH-FrOEen Dcets.

o SllDinR-FrOEen Dcets.
The time Of harvesting Is governed
by the tiillt Of rlpenlng of the bects
This ripening Is made apparent IS Tax
outside leaves or the plant taking Oh !
yellowish tinge and dropping 70 Tx
ground. An experienced eye SOC;
learns to detect II field OF ripe beet.
that Is ready for harvesting. The hrpts
having now finished their work. the
next step of the grower must be gov
erned by his locality. II he IS IN a sec
ton where there Is a probability CT
rain, the beets must be harvested ant
placed in silos. This should be the cas-,
In most Of the sections where rain con
ditions prevail. Such places usually
have heavy rains in September and Dc
tober, followed by more or less warm
weather. The effect Of the rain will le
to cause the beets to begin growing
again. and, II the rains are heavy and
followed by warm days, it Is possible
for a whole crop to be lost, so far ~
fitness for factory purposes Is con.
cerned. ....
1t Is the custom in such localities to
haul the beets to the factory II posi-.
BILE. II 1t IS not possible to do this.
they are gathered and placed in long
ricks or piles Oh the surface Of the
ground. The bases Of these ricks or
piles are from three to three and n half
feet wide and the height from three to
four feet, tapering toward the top,
Along each side Of each rick several
burrows 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 cover.
ing Ia put on to the depth Of about SIN
inches. occasional air spaces or ventila.
tors being left on the tops Of the ricks.
for which purpose Is commonly used
thing or small elongated wooden boxes
or simply straw, the object being to
prevent fermentation.
Storing the beets In this way Is call.
ed "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
lessons the sugar content Of the beet.
The ricks are opened occasionally by
way Of inspection. 1t Is the aim Of
the grower, as already stated, to get
the beets to the factory rs soon as pos.
sible, but this will depend on "his
turn" In case he IL delayed In this
way until cold weather ome on. these
silos are covered with straw. manure
or something Of that sort. and then an
additional amount Of dirt Is 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 II necessary.
In this connection Charles f. Sayler.
a special Investigator for the depart.
ment Of agriculture and authority for
the foregoing, states that It does not
necessarily follow that the beets are
lost even IL they should be frozen solid,
as the factories can readily work them
frozen. and. In fact. some factory su.
pe%rlntendents say they prefer to work
frozen beets. The one thing to be guard
ed against in the case Of frozen beets Ia
thawing. In California, where rain or
freezing Is not liable to occur. after the
beets have rlpened and have gone into
this state Of rest they are allowed to re.
main In the field until the grower IL
notified by the factory that his beets
must be delivered, when they are har.
vested anu taken to the factory. Thus
the expense Of SLIDING Is avoided.