﻿808 
  Fluctuations 
  

  

  began 
  to 
  sink. 
  Their 
  specific 
  weight 
  at 
  that 
  mo- 
  

   ment 
  was 
  determined 
  and 
  considered 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  

   measure 
  of 
  the 
  corresponding 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  beet. 
  

   This 
  principle 
  was 
  afterwards 
  improved 
  in 
  two 
  

   ways. 
  The 
  first 
  was 
  a 
  selection 
  after 
  the 
  salt- 
  

   solution-method, 
  but 
  performed 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  scale. 
  

   After 
  some 
  few 
  determinations, 
  a 
  solution 
  was 
  

   made 
  of 
  such 
  strength 
  as 
  to 
  allow 
  the 
  greater 
  

   number 
  of 
  the 
  beets 
  to 
  float, 
  and 
  only 
  the 
  best 
  

   to 
  sink 
  down. 
  In 
  large 
  vessels 
  thousands 
  of 
  

   beets 
  could 
  be 
  tested 
  in 
  this 
  way, 
  to 
  select 
  a 
  

   few 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  heaviest. 
  The 
  other 
  improve- 
  

   ment 
  was 
  the 
  determination 
  of 
  the 
  specific 
  

   weight 
  of 
  the 
  sap, 
  pressed 
  out 
  from 
  the 
  tis- 
  

   sue. 
  It 
  was 
  more 
  tedious 
  and 
  more 
  expensive, 
  

   but 
  more 
  direct, 
  as 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  air- 
  

   cavities 
  of 
  the 
  tissue 
  was 
  excluded. 
  It 
  pre- 
  

   pared 
  the 
  way 
  for 
  polarization. 
  

  

  This 
  was 
  introduced 
  about 
  the 
  year 
  1874 
  in 
  

   Germany, 
  and 
  soon 
  became 
  generally 
  accepted. 
  

   It 
  allowed 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  sugar 
  to 
  be 
  measured 
  

   directly, 
  and 
  with 
  but 
  slight 
  trouble. 
  Thou- 
  

   sands 
  of 
  beets 
  could 
  be 
  tested 
  yearly 
  by 
  this 
  

   method, 
  and 
  the 
  best 
  selected 
  for 
  the 
  production 
  

   of 
  seed. 
  In 
  some 
  factories 
  a 
  standard 
  percent- 
  

   age 
  is 
  determined 
  by 
  previous 
  inquiries, 
  and 
  the 
  

   mass 
  of 
  the 
  beets 
  is 
  tested 
  only 
  by 
  it. 
  In 
  others 
  

   the 
  methods 
  of 
  taking 
  samples 
  and 
  clearing 
  the 
  

   sap 
  have 
  been 
  improved 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  to 
  allow 
  the 
  

  

  