550 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



the average length of day, and they show that there is a tendency to diminish the 

 content of sugar by diminishing the hours of daylight. 



The data further show that a high altitude may offset a low latitude in its relation 

 to the sugar content, and they illustrated that the most depressing effects on the 

 sugar content are produced by the combination of low altitude and low latitude. 

 The conclusion is drawn that beets rich in sugar are most readily produced under 

 favorable conditions combined with a high latitude and a high altitude. 



A general summary of the data for the 5 years is given in the following table: 



General averages of agricultural, analytical, and meteorological data from 1900-1904. 



Lexington, Ky 



Washington, D. C 



Blacksburg, Va 



Madison, Wis 



Lafayette, Ind 



Ithaca, N. Y 



Ames, Iowa 



Agricultural College. Mich 



Geneva, N. Y 



Irrigation stations: 



Logan, Utah 



Pomona, Cal 



Fort Collins, Colo 



Meteorological data. 



Purity 



3SS «*s~ 



Precipi- 

 tation. 



Inches. 

 14.9 

 21.5 

 21.9 

 21.1 

 20. 8 

 18.8 

 25. 

 19.8 

 20. 



5.9 

 3. 65 

 11.0 



Clear 



da vs. 



90 

 83 

 57 

 56 

 71 

 48 

 1(17 

 63 



L26 

 L24 



Sun- 

 shine. 



P. cent. 

 71.6 

 62.9 

 53.7 



64.7 

 60.4 

 64.2 

 59.6 



78.7 

 73.8 

 63.8 



The agricultural data show that in the 5 years the yields at Washington, Blacks- 

 burg, Madison, Ithaca, Ames, Agricultural College, and Geneva were in each case 

 over 12 tons, while at Lexington and Lafayette approximately only a half crop was 

 produced; and that at Raleigh, N. C, for 2 years the crop was practically a failure. 

 The general proposition established by this series of investigations is that "tempera- 

 ture, or, in other words, latitude, is the most potent element of the environment in 

 the production of a beet rich in sugar. ' ' 



The results at the irrigated stations show that the predominating factor in so far 

 as yield is concerned is the distribution of the water. It is also pointed out that the 

 purity coefficient increases with the sugar content. The beets grown at Lexington 

 were lowest in sugar and also lowest in purity, while those at Geneva with the highest 

 sugar content were also highest in purity. 



In studying the influence of rainfall it was observed that if its distribution or its 

 deficiency produces a small crop of undersized beets, the percentage of sugar in the 

 beet is incidentally increased, while a very abundant and well-distributed precipita- 

 tion producing a beet of extraordinary size diminishes the percentage of sugar. The 

 renewed growth of beets, due to a period of warm wet weather after they have 

 reached a certain degree of maturity, also reduces the sugar content. It is concluded 

 that the average data secured show no direct relation between the content of sugar 

 in the beet and the number of clear days and percentage of sunshine. 



In comparing the composition of the soil and the yield it is shown that the soil 

 diminishes the sugar content when an overgrowth is produced by an excess of plant 

 food, and causes an increase in sugar content to a slight extent when the amount of 

 plant food is insufficient to produce a normal growth. The general conclusion from 

 these and other experiments is that the soil and the fertilizers used have only a 

 limited influence upon the actual sugar content, and that this influence was inci- 

 dental rather to the vigor of growth than to any specific action on the sugar content 

 itself. 



