ROOT CROPS 



279 



value of beets is not believed to be influenced materially by the 

 ratio of sugar to dry matter, but is dependent primarily upon 

 the content of dry sub- 

 stance. It is believed that 

 loss through external de- 

 cay and the oxidation of 

 sugar is greater in sugar 

 beets than in mangel- 

 wurzels. 



There are several vari- 

 eties of mangel-wurzels 

 known as half -sugar man- 

 gel-wurzels, produced by 

 crossing mangel-wurzels 

 and sugar beets. While 

 some of these varieties 

 have good form and yield 

 well, the composition does 

 not differ materially from 

 ordinary varieties of 

 mangel-wurzels, due 

 doubtless to the fact that 

 external characters have 

 been the basis of selection. 



347. VARIETIES. At the Cor- 

 nell Station, the long red vari- 

 eties were more productive than 

 the yellow globe and golden 

 tankard varieties, but were some- 

 what more difficult to harvest. 



Of the long red varieties, Norbiton Giant, Sutton's Long Red, Carton's Long 

 Red, and Chirk Castle yielded equally well. Among the half-sugar mangel- 

 wurzels, Vilmorin's Half-sugar Rosy, and Half-sugar White were found desir- 

 able. Among sugar-beets of value for stock feeding, Danish Improved and 

 Lane's Improved Imperial yielded well. Kleinwanzlebener was expensive to 

 harvest, and retained too large quantities of dirt. 



"The two varieties (of sugar beets) which have been most widely grown in 

 this country are the Vilmorin Improved, and the Kleinwanzlebener. The 



Sutton's long red mangel-wurzel 



