170 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Influence of space upon the richness of sugar : 



Seed. Space. Sugar in 100 parts of Beet. 



Vilmovin Seed. ) 20 centimetres. 14.2 parts. 



1st Experiment, j 30 do. 13 4 do. 



Vilmoriu Seed. 1 30 do. 14.7 do. 



2d Experiment, j 60 do. 13.6 do. 



M. Leroy, on his farm, (Ferme Neuve, pres Noyon,) has ob- 

 tained the foHowing results — the distance between the rows being 

 forty-five centimetres, the space between the roots varying :* 



Space between Beets. Yield per Hectare. 



50 64.100 kilogrammes. 



40 68.800 do. 



30 72,200 do. 



25 72,600 do. 



( 1 hectare = 2 47 acres — 1 kilogramme = 2.2 lbs.) 



The seeds generally give rise to more than one root ; in this 

 case, the strongest should be preserved and the smaller roots 

 pulled out. It is well to keep some beets ready for transplanting 

 as there may be blanks in the beet field, which can thus be easily 

 made up ; transplanting retards the plants however. In case the 

 blanks be very numerous, seeding may be resorted to if the length 

 of season permit. 



As may be seen from the table on page 167, those beets having 

 the greatest number of leaves are the richest in sugar, owing to 

 the greater facility they possess for assimilating atmospheric food 

 and forming sugar. While the beets are young, the soil around 

 them should be loosened carefully, and this treatment continued 

 until the leaves are fully developed. The maturing of the root is 

 indicated by the change of the green color of the leaves to a more 

 yellowish green ; the roots are harvested when the outer leaves 

 become yellow and dry. The percentage of sugar varies greatly 

 at different times of growth of the beet, being greatest at the 

 time of maturity. 



Influence of Rain at the time of Ripening. If, at the time of 

 ripening, the beet be exposed to rainy weather the result is a 

 watery beet, which contains less sugar than it would had it de- 

 veloped in ordinary weather. The proportion between thefsaline 

 constituents and the sugar is generally increased. 



♦Journal des Fabricants de Sucre. No. 37. 4 Mara, 1875. 



