OTHER USEFUL PLANTS 93 



capacity of the beet for sugar were, for reasons 

 already several times repeated, neglected. 



But, so far as they progressed, they fell in 

 line with almost numberless other series of ex- 

 periments in plant development, and gave 

 promise of the production of a beet that would 

 have a higher sugar content than any beet hith- 

 erto under cultivation. 



Just what may be the limit to the percentage 

 of sugar that the beet can be expected to de- 

 velop would be matter of mere conjecture, but 

 that it will represent a considerable advance upon 

 the percentage already attained is scarcely open 

 to doubt. And even as the case stands, the 

 sugar beet has attained a position in which it is, 

 as we have already seen, a dangerous rival for 

 the sugar cane. 



The producers of sugar beets have 

 been at work while the producers 

 of sugar cane were sleeping; and 

 the results of their efforts consti- 

 tute a triumphant demonstration 

 of the value of scientific plant ex- 

 perimentation as an aid to the 

 practical agriculturist. 



