The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-12
It Easily Does the Work of
Several Good Men.
VERY SATISFACTORY.
Handles Three Acres of All
Sizes i'm a Day.
Pulled, Topped and Stacked
Without Being Bruised.

Garden City, Kan, Nov. 12.-The Tel
egram says:
One of the most undesirable features
of beet farming from the standpoint
of the owner of the crop is the cost
of harvesting the beets after they had
matured and are ready to be sent to
the factory. This work is done largely
by hand and it is estimated that it
costs over So an acre to pull and top
after blowing out the beets. A great
many experiments have been made in
the manufacture of q machine that will
dig, top and pile the beets, ready for
the wagons. On account of the many
operations necessary to prepare the
beet for market it has been extremely
difficult to perfect a machine which
will do the work satisfactorily. This
has not deferred inventors, however,
and the progress that has been made
in this line indicates that the present
methods of beet digging and topping
will soon take place with the slckle
and cradle manner of harvesting the
small grains.
Since the beginning of the beet har-
vest in this section, the American Beet
Harvester company has had a machine
operating near here The past week
it has been at work in field of beets
on the G. H. Reeves place northwest
of town and yesterday some three acres
of beets were pulled, topped and piled
machine. The beets were taken from
the rows, all sizes being lifted with the
same ease They were topped uni
formly and then were dropped in piles
from which the beet haulers took them
to the factory. An examination of the
topped beets showed that the litter
had not bruised them in the
least and the percentage of bro
ken beets was very low, practically
nothing IN comparison with the number
broken when the beets are plowed out.
A comparison of the tare on the ma
chine, topped and hand topped beets
at the factory yesterday also showed a.
distinct advantage to the machine top
ped beets.
The first operation of the machine
is the. topping process which Is done
by a sharp horizontal blade, placed
near the front OF the machine ana Just
back of a large wheel which governs
the depth at which the knife cuts
over the wheel runs a chain belt to
which are attached number of short
steel teeth. The wheel runs over the
beet row. the teeth fasten in the top
of the beet, and hold it in position
while the knife cuts it off. When the
top is removed it remains fastened to
the teeth on the chain and is elevated
to the back of the machine where it. Is
in@a top receiver. The topped
beet remaining In the ground is taken
up by two cone. shaped steel points
some 61a inches long, which constantly
loosens the beet without bruising it as
there lis a dirt cushion between the
beet and the steel. The forward motion
of the machine throws the lifted beetS
into the wheel Of the digger and this
carries them around to a receiver. The
driver of the machine dumps the beets
and tops at the same time, leaving the
former in a bunch apart from the
windrow of beets.
The machine has been successfully
operated in the fields of John Craig
and c. H Reeves. Both men are well
pleased with the manner and ease in
which the work was accomplished.