As soon as the beets are up and the rows clearly defined, thinning becomes necessary. This is one of the most important features of beet culture and is a tedious and expensive operation. It consists of cutting out the plants so that individual roots remain, spaced about eight inches apart. The work is done by hand, a hoe being used to block out the spaces, and the roots surrounding the one which it is desired to retain are pulled up. Due partly to faulty germination, but principally to defective thinning of the beets, in which operation a great many of the small, tender beet plants are injured or killed, very much less than the theoretical number of mature beets are secured per acre. With rows eighteen inches apart and a plant every eight inches in the row, 43,000 beets per acre should be obtained, which, at an average weight of one and one-half pounds per beet, would mean 32.25 tons. Owing, however, to the facts just mentioned and to other causes, the actual yield is always much less. The average in California for a number of years past has been only 10.68 tons per acre. [Illustration: _By permission of Truman G. Palmer, Esq._ FIELD OF RIPE BEETS] [Illustration: _By permission of Truman G. Palmer, Esq._ TOPPING BEETS] CULTIVATION The purpose of cultivation is two-fold; first, to retain the moisture in the soil, and, second, to destroy the weeds and grass, as in the early stages of the growth of the beets weeds might spoil the stand by choking the plants. Cultivation should be continued until the plants have attained such a size that the leaves cover the ground. It increases the fertility of the soil by opening the land to the atmosphere, thus facilitating the penetration of oxygen and absorption of air moisture and the resulting decomposition and assimilation of nutritious elements. HARVESTING AND TOPPING The time when harvesting takes place depends on the many factors that influence the growth and maturing of the beet. In the colder countries the harvesting lasts from September until the ground becomes frozen, while in warmer climates like that of California, where the seed is planted early, harvesting begins about July first and lasts for a period of from seventy-five to ninety days. The beets are first loosened by means of a specially shaped plough, called the “puller,” which lifts them from the ground. They are then picked up by hand and the crown of each beet, together with the leaves, is cut off with a large knife. The leaves contain no sugar, and are, therefore, not taken into the factory, but are utilized for stock feeding, being quite valuable for this purpose. The sugar contained in the crown is accompanied by so many organic salts that it does not pay to extract it.