Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4.6
Photo from
Spreckels Sugar Beet Bulletin
showing machine-blocked sugar beets (
top
)
and hand-thinned sugar beets (
bottom
). From Spreckels (1953). Courtesy of Monterey
County Department of Parks.
row—was violated; instead a blocking machine was used to simply cut a
single row of plants regardless of spacing. Figure 4.6 makes these compet-
ing strategies clear, depicting in the bottom half a traditionally thinned
row of larger singles and in the top half a machine-blocked row of smaller
but more numerous beets. In his report Tavernetti describes the distinction
between the two methods and the changes in practice required for mecha-
nized production to work properly. Then he comments,
It is quite obvious no machine can be perfected that can duplicate hand work as is
now being employed in thinning sugar beets.
