liEl'OliT OF THE CUE.UIST 



185 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



The composition of the leaves, collars and roots as regards water, organic matter, 

 r.nd ash, on the several dates of collection, is shown by the following data : — 



Analysis of Sugar Beets. 



Leaves. — These show a general and continuous increase in organic matter and ash 

 constituents throughout the growing period. 



Compared, weight for weight, with the collars and dressed roots, the leaves are 

 considerably lower in organic matter, but decidedly higher in ash. This is true at all 

 three periods of growth at which the examination was made. 



Collars or Crowns. — These also show a continuous increase in organic matter, 

 though the increase is not so marked as in the leaves. On July 29 the percentage of 

 organic matter was almost three times that of the leaves. On the two last dates of 

 collection it was practically twice that of the leaves. 



Compared with the dressed roots, the collars are invariably the higher (from 1 

 per cent to 2 per cent") in organic matter. 



The percentage of ash is intermediate between that of the leaves and that of dress- 

 ed roots, but unlike that in the leaves does not uniformly increase. The results seem 

 to show a slight increase between July 29 and September 8, but a decline from that 

 date till October 11, practically to the percentage present on July 29. 



Jloois. — As regards organic matter, we find a marked increase throughout the 

 whole period. The percentage of ash remained the same from July 29 to September 8, 

 r.nd fell off a little from the latter date till October 19. 



FERTILIZING CONSTITUENTS IN THE BEET. 



proceeding to a discussion of the essential elements of fertility present in the 

 roots, collars and leaves, respectively, we may first consider briefly the data of the 

 following table, which gives the percentages of phosphoric acid, potash, lime and 

 nitrogen, in the fresh material : — 



Fertilizing Constituents in Sugar Beets (in fresh material). 



