The Wohurn Field Experiments, 1911. 



■401 



On July 13 a top-dressing of 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda and 

 1 cwt. of salt was given to the crops. The sugar-beet were 

 ready rather earlier thau*the mangolds, and were i-aised October 

 22-28, the mangolds being similarly taken up November 1-8. 

 In Table VII. the comparative weights of the two crops grown 

 on the same land are given. 



Table VII. — Gomparison of Sugar-beet and Mangolds 

 (" Yellow Globe''') grown in Road Piece Field, 1911. 



The weights given in Table VI. for experiment (a) are those 

 of the washed roots only, as it would be in this condition that 

 the sugar-ljeet would be utilised in a factory. The weights of 

 the bull)s as taken in the field were considerably higher, the 

 highest l^eing 15 tons 18 cwt. and the lowest 10 tons 16 cwt. per 

 acre. But these latter weights were those of the bulbs treated 

 just as mangolds would be, the tops and tails cut off and the 

 adhering earth shaken off as far as possible. The roots were 

 then taken to the farm, and a portion from each plot was 

 thoroughly washed and the loss recorded. This was found to 

 amount to from 35 to 40 per cent., a much higher figure than 

 is generally reckoned. At the same time it is only fair to 

 mention that, owing to the very exceptional season, the roots 

 were small and not well grown, and, moreover, they showed 

 considerable " fanginess." All this would contriliute to the 

 holding up of proportionately more earth than would be the 

 case with well-shapen, regular, and smooth roots. Still, there 

 is great reason for believing that the loss of weight involved in 

 washing the roots before they are used in the factory is very 

 much more than is generally stated. In this connection it 

 may be mentioned that washing was similarly tried with the 

 mangold crop, and the loss so found was 13 per cent. ; again, 

 more than is generally believed to be the case. 



The analyses were made, of course, in the cleaned roots, and 

 the produce of sugar per acre was calculated out from these 

 analyses, and is given in the last column of Table VI. 



From results olitained in an exceptional season such as that 

 of 1911 it is very difficult to draw fair conclusions either as to 

 the yield of sugar-beet per acre, the amount of sugar, or the 



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