150 



otherwise equal. To determine the amount of these variations in the sugar beet the 

 author made the following experiment : Six bunches of seed from one mother beet 

 were selected, cultivated separately, and the developed plants transplanted after 

 thirty-seven days in such a manner that each plant had the same space of soil. The 

 crop of beets gave the following results: 



From these numbers will be seen the great difference in the weight of the beets 

 although produced from the same bunch. This illustrates the great variability of 

 the sugar beet in inheriting properties, and suggests the greatest care in selecting 

 seed for culture." 



In tbe work in the selection of the individual canes which contained 

 the highest percentage of sugar it was noticed that almost without ex- 

 ception the seed heads of these canes were far below the average in 

 size and weight. This will be seen by an inspection of a photograph 

 which was taken, showing the seed-heads which gave the highest analy- 

 sis in the work this season. It may also be remarked that the non- 

 saccharine varieties are invariably large seed-bearers, and have mag- 

 nificent seed-heads. 



Perhaps the simultaneous production of a large amount of seed and 

 of a high percentage of sugar are incompatible? 



When any selection of sorghum seed is practiced at all it is the uni- 

 versal custom to select the largest and finest seed beads, but perhaps 

 this method of selection is better calculated to improve the yield of seed 

 than the yield of sugar. This is a most interesting and important ques- 

 tion, and we commend it to future investigators. 



CONTINUATION OF THE WORK IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOR- 

 GHUM PLANT. 



The necessity for the continuance of this work has already been suf- 

 ficiently pointed out. Even after highly sacchariferous varieties have 

 been produced careful selection of seed will still be necessary in order 

 to maintain a high standard of excellence. Who is to carry on this es- 

 sential branch of the industry ? In Europe the beet industry is suffi- 

 ciently extensive to justify large seed concerns in undertaking such 

 work, and some of the largest factories save their own seed. In some 

 of the beet-growing countries the agricultural experiment stations ren- 

 der efficient aid in this direction. In this country the industry is still 

 so young that it can not be expected that private capital will undertake 



