Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-06-07

uoise anu CultiSdtes Two TOWS NJ a
time. 1t is mounted on two wheels,
each about 80 inches in diameter Be-
hind these wheels are two horizontal
bars, connected by two other bars to
the axle. on which they have a free up
and down motion. There is also
pivot which allows side motion, con-
rolled with handles by the operator.
With the cultlvator are several sets Of
knives. shovels, ETC., any of which can
be fastened to the horizontal bars. the
grower using whatever kind is adapt
ed for the kind Of cultivation he wish
eA
When plants are couple of inches
high they are thlnned out, leaving
plants six to ten inches apart. This
work is usually done by contract, the
price paid averaging from So to 81
per acre.
In removing beets from the ground.
a large plow or litter is used. This
pillow has depth Of is inches or more
made necessary by the great depth to
which the beet penetrates the soil. 1t
is drawn by three or four horses, and
raises the beet partly out Of the
ground, so that 1t can be picked up by
the topper.
The beets are taken by local freight
to the factory, where they are dumped
into long bitches, which have stream
Of water flowing through them. These
bitches, which are lined with cement,
slope toward the factory building, near
which they converge into one large
one. The water in these bitches serve
the double purpose Of carrying and
partially cleaning the beets At the
end of this large ditch. the beets are
raised from the water by an elevating
apparatus. which deposits them In n
large washing machine. This consists
of an immense spiral revolving in a
round iron box. placed In horizontal
position, and with stream of clear
water flowing through 1t. The beets,
rolling and tumbling, are pushed for
ward through this water, and coming
out free from dirt, are deposited in a
screw elevator and carried to the top
of tho factory, Here they find their
way Into an automatic weighing ma
chine, then dumped into the slicer
where they are cut in small pieces.
On the next floor below the slicer Is
located the diffusion battery. which is
composed of number of iron tanks,
placed in group. The tanks are con-
nected with each other by large pipes,
and each tank is capable Of holding
three or four thousand pounds Of the
slices. The first tank is filed with
slices, and has water turned into 1t.
This is allowed to stand while the
second tank Is filling with slices. Then
the valve connecting the first tank
with the second Is opened, and the
water in the first tank, having absorb
ed some sugar from the slices, is
forced into the second by fresh water
being pumped into the first. This
water passes from tank to tank abb
sorbing little more sugar from each
tank, until 1t has gone through them
all. The first lot of water turned In
takes out 80 per cent OF the sugar, and
the second lot takes so per cent Of the
remainder. This is repeated ten times,
and in the end has exhausted all the
sugar from the slices to within one
tenth of one per cent The slices re.
naming after this process are dropped
from the tanks and run through large
presses, and the partly dried pulp is
deposited In cars and wagons to be
used for feeding cattle, 1t being n