139 



seen in the following table taken from Stammer,* which shows analysis 

 of individual beets taken from the same row. 



Polarization of German tugar-bcds. 



From this it appears that these individual beets showed nearly as 

 great variations as the Amber canes, though from the differences in 

 the weights of the beets it is evident that they were selected at ran- 

 dom, with no special effort to obtain average samples, as was the case 

 with the canes. 



DIFFICULTIES IN THE SELECTION OF SEED ACCORDING TO CONTENT 

 OF SUGAR IN THE CANE. 



It is much more difficult to select the best individuals of a sugar-pro- 

 cluciug plant than of plants raised for other purposes, in which the 

 relative merit of the individuals can be seen by outward appearances. 



There are no known reliable outward signs which indicate that a cer- 

 tain cane contains more sugar than the others. In a garden one can 

 select the finest vegetables, in the orchard the finest fruits, in the grain 

 fields the finest ears of corn or of wheat, by the eye or by weight, or 

 by very simple tests. But sugar is inside the canes, mingled with other 

 substances. The weight of the canes or their appearance is not a reli- 

 able measure of the sugar which they contain. Handsome canes may 

 contain but little sugar 5 canes inferior in appearance may yield sugar 

 well. The sense of taste is not a reliable test, for the sugar in the juice 

 is masked by other substances. A sugar-cane which shows by analysis 

 12 per cent, of sugar tastes much sweeter than a sorghum-cane which 

 shows 15 per cent. 



The sorghum plant will bo improved but slowly if selections of seed 

 are made only by the size or weight or appearance of the canes, or by 

 simple selections of the finest appearing seeds. 



In 2,000 analyses and polarizations of cane juice made at this station 

 there were no reliable and constant outward marks observed by which 

 the canes which contained most sugar could be selected. The degree 



"Lehrbucli der Zuckcr-ial>rik:iliun, YOU Dr. K. Stammer Braunschweig, 18b7, p. 

 150. 



