63 



been formed in the leaves, it is carried to the roots of the beet by the 

 downward flow of the sap or juice. In the root of the beet, the sugar is 

 deposited in cells, which very closely resemble those of the honey-comb 

 in structure. 



You will naturally ask : Does the beet go to all the trouble of manu- 

 facturing- and storing up sugar for our special benefit ? Not at all. As 

 you all know, the sugar beet does not produce seed during the first year 

 of its growth. If we take a beet root from the cellar and plant it we 

 observe that it again begins to grow. From the crown of the beet, a 

 strong leafy angular stem is sent up. This stem bears the flowers 

 which are the forerunners of the truit. The flowers, you will notice, are 

 arranged at short intervals along the stem and its branches, and are 

 usually m clusters of four or five. Below each cluster is a small bract. 

 The flower possesses a perianth, which is composed of five small 

 green leaves. The lower part of the perianth is united with a fleshy sub- 

 stance called the receptacle. We also notice five stamens opposite the 

 perianth. The ovary, or sac, encloses a small body called the ovule. 

 The ovule eventually changes into a seed or fruit. 



After fertilization, the receptacle and base of the perianth of each 

 flower enlarge considerably. In this way, the perianth of each flower 

 becomes more or less firmly attached to each other. The fleshy portions, 

 with the ovaries, eventually become hard. These spurious fruits finaUy 

 come into the market as " seeds." 



During the period of growth and development of the fruit, what has 

 become of the bulb or fleshy root? Upon examination, we find that only 

 the walls of the former bulb remain (Notice Figs. 84 and 85). What 

 is the cause of this change ? The reply is : The store-house has become 

 emptied of its contents. By what agency ? The sap or juice has carried 

 it up for the young seeds in the course of their development. We see 

 therefore, tha't the sugar and other contents of the cells in the roots were 

 stored up by the plant for the purpose of supplying the food necessary to 

 fruit or seed, production. In obtaining sugar from the beet, we, there- 

 fore, simply intercept Nature's plans, and are thus able to appropriate that 

 which was' not originally intended for us. This sugar is stored up by 

 the beet plant in the root that it may feed itself the next season when 

 it is forming seed. 



We shall now examine the process of the manufacture of sugar from 

 the beet. The beets are at the close of the first season removed from the 

 soil, and are taken to the factory. At the factory, they cire put into large 

 sheds with V-shaped bottoms, which are connected with the factory by 

 means of channels. Through these channels a moderate flow of water 

 carries the beets into the first washing machine. By means of a spiral 

 arrangement, the beets nre tumbled about, washed, and carried along 

 until they drop into an elevator. This elevator carries the beets to the 

 top of the building, where they are weighed and sliced in such a manner 

 as to open up the cells of the beet as much as possible. 



We have already noticed that the cells of the beet in which the sugar 

 is deposited are very similar to those of the honey-comb. Therefore, it is 

 very important that the knives used in the slicing operation be sharp, so 



