934 EXPERIMKNT STATION RECORD. 



that most of the best suf,Mr-|>rodiK'inf? varieties came from South Africa and a 

 few from India. After "> years' test only (i of tlie varieties were recommended 

 as relial)le sirui> producers for tlie latitude of the station. Hut seldom was 

 less than 12 per cent of total su^'ars in the juice found in the mature cane of 

 any of the better varieties. The usi? of carbonate of lime as a fertilizer did not 

 detiiiiti'ly show any ditt'ercnces in (piality. yield, and maturity. 



Report on experiments on the growing' of sugar beets, T. Milbukn, J. fJor.D- 

 INC. and S. (J, Paink (Midland Ai/r. and Dairy Vol. Bui. !), J907-H,pp. 99-10!)).— 

 The results of sugar-beet trials conductal in li)07 indicate that with regard to 

 distance between rows it is advisable to adopt the narrowest width possible 

 down to 12 in. It is further shown that in a damp and cold season digging 

 should be delayed as long as possible, for iu every case roots dug in November 

 contained a higlu'r i)ercentage of sugar than those dug in October. 



Sugar beets in 1908, W. B. Ellett (Virginia 8ta. Circ. .7, /*/'. //). — Brief 

 reports on the sugar content and purity secured in cooperative cul'iure tests in 

 different counties of the State are given. Of the samples analyzed the richest 

 contained 1G.4 per cent of sugar in the beet, with a purity of lto.4 iicr cent. The 

 highest pui'ity coefficient recorded is 92.7 per cent. 



The composition and production of sugar beets CNew York State Sta. Rpt. 

 J907, pt. 3, pp. 23()-^,i2). — A summary of exi)eriments with Kleinwanzleben and 

 Yilmorin Improved sugar beets conducted from 1897 to 1901. In lsi;7, about 

 140 sam])les of beets from different parts of the State varied from 12 to 1S.5 

 per cent in sugar content, the general average being about 15..3 per cent. The 

 next year beets from 16 different localities contained from 10.1 to 18.5 per 

 cent of sugar, with an average of 15.5 per cent. In 1899, 1900, and 1!K)1 the 

 sugar content in beets grown at the station varied from 12.3 to 18.5 per cent, 

 with an average of 15 per cent. In the several years of work the coefficient 

 of purity varied from 72.5 to 90.2, averaging about 83 per cent. 



Additional details as to these cultural tests and also of fertilizer trials have 

 been previously noted (E. S. R., 11, p. 238; 13, p. 1042). 



Potash consumption of the beet during its first season of growth, 

 K. Andklik and J. Urban (Ztsclir. Ziickerindn.s. Bohmen, 32 (1908), No. 10, 

 pp. 559-575). — In the series of experiments conducted with reference to this 

 problem it was found that the quantity of potash taken up by the sugar beet 

 in its first year of growth varies with the season, the soil, the fertilization, and 

 the seed. The minimum quantity determined was 156.9 kg. in 400 quintals of 

 beets (about 7.84 lbs. per ton of beets), but the consumption in general was 

 much greater. The use of potash salts and barnyard manure increased the 

 quantity of potash taken up, while dry seasons apparently reduced it, but the 

 dry years also iiroduced small yields of beets and sugar. 



It was also observed that beets fi'om different kinds of seed, grown under 

 identical conditions, varied in potash consumption, and that beets from the same 

 kind of seed but grown under different conditions also varied in this regard. A 

 high potash consumption did not indicate a high yield of beets or of sugar, but 

 was rather correlated with a heavy yield of leaves. The ])roportion of potash 

 taken up to the quantity of sugar produced was not constant, the range de- 

 termined being from 2.1 to 5.8 parts of potash to 100 parts of sugar. The roots 

 contained from 32.1 to 41.5 per cent of the potash consumed, showing that the 

 larger portion goes to the leaves. However, wlien the plants used large quan- 

 tities of potash an increase in the potash content of the roots also took place. 



In the beets showing the minimum content of potash the proportion of potash 

 to sugar was 0.75 to 100, while in the beets containing on the average 177.5 

 kg. of potash per 400 quintals, the proportion of potash rose to 1.01 parts, and 

 in the beets containing 303 kg. of potash per 400 quintals, to 1.72 parts per 100 



