ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT 81 



Only two of the plants set out failed to live and less 

 than i per cent, failed to produce seed stalks. 



Fifty of the plants which possessed the highest 

 number of single flowers were selected for pollination 

 purposes. In. the work of pollination, single flowers 

 were covered with paper bags in order to protect them 

 from the pollen of other beet-flowers, a ndthe branches 

 which bore multiple flowers were removed. While open- 

 ing the flowers with a needle or scalpel in order to cross- 

 fertilize them, a tent was erected to surround both 

 plant and operator and protect the flowers at such times 

 against stray pollen that might be floating in the air. 



After the flowers were treated and covered with 

 paper bags, the entire plant was covered with a cloth 

 bag in order that the paper bags might not be blown 

 off. Each plant was carefully examined from time 

 to time to remove the superfluous growth that was 

 forced from the nodes as a result of the excessive trim- 

 ming due to removing the branches which bore multiple 

 flowers. As soon as the seed had set, the paper bags 

 were removed, but the cloth bags remained over the 

 plants until the seed ripened. 



The seed ripened in August and that from each of 

 the pollinated plants, and the other plants which 

 showed the .greatest number of singles, was gathered 



