112 



the percentage of sucrose in the entire amount of solid matter in the juice. To illus- 

 trate : Beet number 130, grown by Henry Nagle, Antelope County, gives the follow- 

 ing record: total solids, 23.7 ; sucrose, "^'i. 08 ; glucose, 0.38 ; purity, 93. This means 

 that in every 100 parts of the juice of this beet there were 23.7 parts of solid matter. 

 This solid matter is composed of — sucrose, 22.08 parts ; glucose, 0.38 parts; solids (not 

 sugar), 1.24 parts ; total, 23.70 jiarts. That is, 93 per cent of all the solids is sucrose. 



The importance of climate as a factor in the cultivation of sugar-beets 

 led to the collating of information regarding the climatic conditions 

 essential to the production of sugar-beets in Europe and comparisons 

 with similar data obtained from different parts of Nebraska. 



A summary of the climatic conditions prevailing in Europe where 

 sugar-beets are raised, is reprinted from Special Report No. 28 of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. Sugar-beet culture in Eu- 

 rope prevails largely in the north. Though the quantity of rain-fall is 

 greater in the south, yet vegetation in that section suffers more from 

 lack of moisture than in the north. This has been explained as the 

 result of the more rapid evaporation of moisture in the south, due to a 

 higher temperature, more direct sunlight, and a less nuuiber of rainy 

 days. A chart of the temperature and rain-fall curves for the summer 

 months in the beet-growing districts of Europe is given, as well as a 

 table and charts of the temperature and rain-fall for the same months 

 in Nebraska, compiled from the records of the Nebraska weather service 

 and the meteorological department of the station. " Statistics from 

 forty counties in the State are thus presented, extending over periods 

 of from one to eighteen years." 



A comparison of these results with those of the sugar-growing districts of Europe, 

 and with those climatic conditions apparently required for successful sugar produc- 

 tion, shows a close correspondence. In the sugar-producing districts of Europe the 

 average monthly temperature for the months of May, June, July, August, and Sep- 

 tember does not rise above 70° Fah. nor fall below 50'-' Fah., whilst the average 

 monthly rain-fall for the same period of time does not fall below 1.5 inches nor rise 

 above 4 inches. The conditions required for successful culture in Europe, as given by 

 liriem, are, in general, compai'atively dry and warm spring months during the time 

 for in-eparation of soil, planting, and cultivating the crop; moderate temperature; 

 abundant and frequent rains during the summer, the time for the ultimate develop- 

 ment of the crop and its valuable constitueuts ; cool and dry fall, the time for ripen- 

 ing, harvesting, and storing the crop. 



The average monthly temperature of Nebraska for the mouths of May, June, July, 

 August, and September ranges between 58.9° Fah. in May to 75° Fah. in July, fall- 

 ing to 62.3° in September, with an average of 09.5° Fah. for the five months ; a slight 

 increase of temperature over that prevailing in Europe. 



The average monthly rain -fall in Nebraska for the same mouths ranges from 3.74 

 inches in May to 4.2 inches in July, falling to 2.14 inches in September, with a sum- 

 mer average of 3.31 inches. It will be noticed that rain-fall and temperature for cor- 

 responding periods of time is slightly higher in Nebraska than in the sugar-beet dis- 

 tricts of Europe. 



Appended is a chart of the temperature and rain-fall in Nebraska, on which is 

 placed for comparison the curves of temperature and rain-fall of the sugai'-producing 

 districts iu Europe. 



These curves show plainly that our temperature and rain-fall are both somewhat 

 higher than iu Europe; they also show that these two factors are more closely cor- 



