Harvesting and the tools used
Harvesting and storing depend on the crop and its use. Potatoes are dried a little after digging, before storage; carrots are not, because they lose much moisture through the surface. Part of beet and turnip lies above ground, so autumn frost can damage it and they are harvested earlier, while carrots, fully underground, are harvested later. During 1–20 September root crops grow another 40 percent or so, and when air temperature falls to 4–6 °C growth stops and digging is best begun. The crop must be dug carefully: a damaged root crop does not keep long. Damaged and frostbitten plants are sorted out and fed to livestock. For harvesting, combines, potato diggers and maize harvesters are used. Vegetables are stored in large stores with temperature and humidity control or in cellars. After beets and carrots are dug, their tops are cut off. When digging on the school plot, work in the order the adult shows, in gloves, and beware of the spade’s edge; children keep away from places where machines are working.
Storage test: keep two carrots apart for a week, one open and one in a box of damp sand, and write the difference (with an adult).