ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT 17 



hoeing is frequent and thorough until such time as 

 further field work would injure the leaves. 



Any roots which miss or show degeneracy either are 

 replaced by other beets specially grown for this pur- 

 pose, or by turnips, in order that all will receive a like 

 amount of nourishment. If at harvest time any 

 vacant spaces are found, the surrounding beets are 

 weighed and 50 per cent, of their weight is deducted, 

 as it has been shown by careful experiments that they 

 increase to that extent by reason of being isolated. 



FIRST PHYSICAL SELECTION 



Having planted super-elite seed in the spring and grown 

 the beets to maturity, in October the first physical se- 

 lection, which has to do with the foliage, is made. The 

 expert, and he must be a trained and discriminating 

 expert who has devoted years to the work, goes slowly 

 through the field, row by row, placing a stake beside 

 each beet the leaves and crown of which meet his 

 approbation. It may be one in twenty-five, or one in 

 a hundred he misses none which reach the standard; 

 he stakes none which are not up to standard. 



As by the aid of the light, the sugar is gathered from 

 the atmosphere by the outer under edges of the leaves 

 and from there is carried down and stored in the root, 



