EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 205 



sugar, but is accompanied by an actual loss of sugar." In Bulletin No. 58 of the same 

 experiment station it is discovered that if fresh beets be soaked for seven days in water 

 cooled by ice, an actual increase of sugar takes place, indicating the formation of sugar 

 in the beet root. ^Yhile the former conclusion of the Colorado experiments are somewhat 

 contradictory to ours, the latter statement relative to the formation of sugar in the 

 beet root may be a condition somewhat analogous to the development of sugar in stored 

 beets during cold weather when the temperature conditions would be analogous to that 

 of soaking in ice water. 



MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS. 



VITALITY OF OLD SEED. 



This experiment was conducted by employing seeds which have been accumulating for 

 the last four years in the experiment station seed room. Seeds four years, three years, 

 two years and one year old were compared in adjacent rows. There was practically no 

 difference in the vitality of the seeds, as the plants of all appeared above ground on 

 exactly the same date. The newest seed, that is, seed purchased the year of the experi- 

 ment, showed a weaker growth than any of the other varieties, although every lot gave 

 a perfect stand. These seeds had been kept in a perfectly dry room in the sacks in 

 which they were shaped. The result of this experiment indicated that keeping sugar 

 beet seeds under favorable conditions does not injure them. 



SOAKING SEED. 



In connection with the above experiment each of the lots of seed of different ages was 

 soaked in pure water for 24 hours prior to sowing. The results show no advantage from 

 this practice, while the inconvenience of sowing the moistened seed was a hindrance. 

 The fact that the seed was moist interfered with the perfect action of the seed drill to 

 such an extent than an uneven growth was obtained where the soaked seeds were planted. 



HOME GROWN SEED. 



In the year 1900 a few sugar beet seed were grown with a view to study the question 

 of producing our own seed. This experiment met with fair success, a small crop of seed 

 being produced that year, the same being planted in the spring of 1001. The beets from 

 this planting are now in storage to be tested and replanted the coming season. The 

 results so far demonstrate the possibility of growing sugar beet seed in this locality. 

 The development of this branch of the industry, will require years of careful work, but 

 it suggests a line of experiment which calls for further and careful attention. From 

 the plants which produced seed in the fall of 1900 a few seeds were scattered on the 

 ground. They lived through the winter and came on the following spring giving a 

 substantial growth of beets of good size, which, harvested September 7, 9 and 11, gave 

 average yields of 10.77 per cent of sugar from beets averaging 17 ounces in weight. 

 Other beets weighing 10 ounces eaeh'from adjacent plots sown early in the spring 

 yielded from 9.7 per cent to 12 per cent sugar. The possibility of seeding to sugar beets 

 in the fall is being tested by further experiment from seedings made in October, 1901. 

 The result of this accidental experiment in fall seeding point to a new possibility in 

 the management of the sugar beet crop. We produced beets of larger size and with a 

 satisfactory percentage of sugar, and could this method of planting be practiced, it 

 would be a great help in distributing the work of thinning the beets and caring for the 

 crop. 



COMMERCIAL SKED. 



All the wholesale farm and garden seed dealers offer sugar beet seed for sale. A trial 

 of two varieties bought of a prominent seedsman produced beets as follows: 



Kleimvan/.lebener 9.11 per C en1 sugar, 71.8 purilv. 



Vilmorin 10.96 per cent sugar, 74.0 purity. 



Eight varieties of imported seed on adjacent ground harvested on the same date 

 averaged 12 per cent sugar and 79 per cent purity. 



