210 The Sugar-Beet in America 



words, latitude, is the most potent element of environ- 

 ment in the production of beets rich in sugar. 



It has already been indicated in Chapter V that the 

 soil does not have so great an effect as some other factors 

 in modifying the percentage of sugar in the beet. It 

 does, however, have some effect and it has a decided in- 

 fluence on the size and shape of beets as well as on the 

 purity of the juice. Headden ^ found that an excess of 

 nitrates in the soil has a decidedly detrimental effect on 

 the quality of beets. He ^ showed earlier that the amount 

 of ash in the beet is increased by the presence of alkali. 

 Voorhees ^ has pointed out that the kind of fertilizer and 

 the time it is applied influence the sugar-beet. This has 

 been discussed more fully in Chapter VI. It has often 

 been observed that beets high in sugar have a lower 

 percentage of ash than have poor beets. 



Soil moisture during the growing season is one of the 

 most important factors influencing the quality of beets. 

 This has been discussed in Chapter X on irrigation and 

 drainage. 



There is a great difference in the quality of individual 

 beets raised under the same conditions. This results from 

 the ordinary variation found among all plants and animals. 

 Part of this variation is due to heredity and is trans- 

 missible, but part of it cannot be transmitted to its 

 progeny. There is, of course, considerable difference in 

 the quality of beets of different strains, the same as there 

 is a variation in the amount of milk given by different 



1 Headden, W. P., Colo. Exp. Sta., Bui. No. 183 (1912). 



2 Headden, W. P., Colo. Exp. Sta., Bui. No. 46 (1898). 

 » Voorhees, E. B., " Fertilizers,'.' p. 344. 



