48 



growth. Up to this time the root will not be a great 

 size, the leaves alone being developed. Now the 

 leaves become stationary and the root rapidly 

 increases in richness of sugar, until complete matu- 

 rity. I must observe that in the various ploughings 

 and especially in the first, care must be taken not to 

 disturb the earth near the young roots, which if 

 done would cause an increase of the green portion 

 of the head, which contains less sugar than those 

 parts which have not been in immediate contact 

 with the light and exterior air. And here, I will also 

 remark, that the upper portion of the beet, that 

 which rises out of the earth, is always poorer in 

 sugar and more rich in foreign substances than the 

 other portions ; the advantage therefore of culti- 

 vating a beet whose head rises little above the earth 

 is apparent; the Silesian beet is the one that best 

 answers this purpose. 



Before closing this chapter I will give two tables 

 showing the value of the different parts of the beet 

 and the value of the baets at the different periods of 

 its growth. 



Head of the root 9.38 per cent of sugar. 

 Other portions 13.13 " 



If the large quantity of hurtful matters contained 

 in'the outside of the Leet is taken into account, it 

 will be seen how inuc'.i less is its value than the 

 other portions. 



Quantity of sugar, 'n : hundred beets, during the 



