18 SUGAR-BEET SEED 



the leaves play an important part in the elaboration of 

 sugar and no detail is too small for consideration. 



Beets with very small or deformed or badly-shaped 

 leaves are not selected for mothers. Oblong leaves 

 indicate higher sugar content than round leaves and 

 pointed leaves always are low in sugar. 



If the leaf has a large nerve in the center, without 

 intersecting nerves, the beet is low in sugar. Three 

 central nerves and partially developed cross nerves are 

 what is desired. The wrinkles on the leaves indi- 

 cate sugar the greater the number the higher the 

 sugar content. Dark, rather than light-green leaves 

 are sought; reddish leaves indicate a beet of poor 

 quality. The texture and fringes and the length of the 

 leaf stalks all have a meaning to the expeit who is 

 breeding to create or perpetuate an individual type. 

 Outspreading leaves indicate more sugar than upright 

 leaves where the sun cannot reach their surfaces as 

 readily, but if the leaves lie too flat, they will be broken 

 off with the cultivator and thus cease to perform their 

 function of gathering sugar. 



The percentage of sugar increases with the number 

 of leaf-circles, of which there should be not less than 

 eight. One of Pellet's observations, made with Vil- 

 morin seed, was as follows: 



