﻿796 
  Fluctuations 
  

  

  yields 
  higher 
  percentage-figures 
  in 
  a 
  dry 
  region 
  

   than 
  in 
  a 
  wet 
  one. 
  This 
  is 
  seen 
  when 
  compar- 
  

   ing, 
  for 
  instance, 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  analyses 
  

   from 
  the 
  sandy 
  provinces 
  of 
  Holland 
  with 
  those 
  

   from 
  the 
  clay-meadows, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  well 
  

   known 
  that 
  Californian 
  beets 
  average 
  as 
  high 
  

   as 
  26$ 
  or 
  more, 
  while 
  the 
  best 
  European 
  beets 
  

   remain 
  at 
  about 
  20$. 
  As 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  

   able 
  to 
  ascertain, 
  these 
  figures 
  however, 
  are 
  not 
  

   indicative 
  of 
  any 
  difference 
  of 
  race, 
  but 
  simply 
  

   direct 
  responses 
  to 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  climate 
  

   and 
  of 
  soil. 
  

  

  Apart 
  from 
  these 
  considerations 
  the 
  improve- 
  

   ment 
  reached 
  in 
  half 
  a 
  century 
  or 
  in 
  about 
  

   twenty 
  to 
  thirty 
  generations 
  is 
  not 
  suggestive 
  

   of 
  anything 
  absolute. 
  Everything 
  is 
  fluctuating 
  

   now, 
  even 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  at 
  the 
  outset, 
  and 
  equally 
  

   dependent 
  on 
  continual 
  care. 
  Vilmorin 
  has 
  

   given 
  some 
  figures 
  for 
  the 
  beets 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  

   generations 
  from 
  which 
  he 
  started 
  his 
  race. 
  He 
  

   quotes 
  14$ 
  as 
  a 
  recomrnendable 
  amount, 
  and 
  7 
  

   and 
  21 
  as 
  the 
  extreme 
  instances 
  of 
  his 
  analy- 
  

   ses. 
  However 
  incorrect 
  these 
  figures 
  may 
  be, 
  

   they 
  coincide 
  to 
  a 
  striking 
  degree 
  with 
  the 
  pres- 
  

   ent 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  European 
  races. 
  Of 
  

   course 
  minor 
  values 
  are 
  excluded 
  each 
  year 
  by 
  

   the 
  selection, 
  and 
  in 
  consequence 
  the 
  average 
  

   value 
  has 
  increased. 
  For 
  the 
  year 
  1874 
  we 
  find 
  

   a 
  standard 
  of 
  10-14$ 
  considered 
  as 
  normal. 
  

  

  