July 13, 1883..] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



29 



which we shall see is one of the chief causes of success in beet 

 cultivation. If the manm-es are ploughed in, the roots form 

 regularly, only about 35 per cent, having irregularities, side roots, 

 &c., whtreas in the other case, i.e., if the manure is not ploughed 

 in, the percentage is about 60 per cent. 



In thick sowing, the produce of the beet crop is smaller in 

 quantity, but of higher value, on account of the sugar, and in the 

 density and purity of the juice, than in thin sowing. According to 

 the space allotted to each plant, the yield of sugar varied, in one 

 case, from 86 to 91 per cent., and in another case from 88 to 93 per 

 cent. This important fact is more to be considered than the 

 manuring or the kind of beet grown. The distance between the 

 plants should be small on a humid and matured land, but great on 

 a dry, high ground and poor soil. 



A better produce is obtained from a sandy soil than from a peat 

 soil. Experiments give for the former 10-46 and 13-90 per cent, 

 of sugar, and for the latter 8-35 and 8-39 per cent, as the yield. 



The leaves of the beet have had a good deal of attention given 

 them by the chemist. 



Cows fed on the leaves of beet yield more milk a day than when 

 pasture fed, though the milk is lower in total solids and fat ; but not 

 only is the yield of milk more through the use of the leaf, but the 

 food is, at the same time, more nourishing to the animal. I will 

 give you one of the results of experiments made to confirm this : — 



Kilos. 



After feeding on leaves, weight 485 



Before ,, ,, „ 450 



Increase 35 kilos. 



So we see that there was a gain of at least 82 lb. through feeding 

 the animal with this food. 



It is not, at the same time, advisable to feed them entirely on 

 this. The leaves should be preserved in pits, according to the well- 

 known plan, and covered with earth about a foot deep ; then, when 

 required for use, given with a mixed diet, containing a large amount 

 of the leaves. It will be found that this is the best kind of fat- 

 tening fodder for sheep and cattle. The leaves of the beet contain 

 small quantities of glucose, and those roots which have well deve- 

 loped their leaves are the richest in sugar. 



The fresh leaves contain about 4 per cent, of oxalic acid, about a 

 third of which exists in a soluble form. It will now be seen why I 

 said it was not advisable to feed cattle entirely on the fresh leaves, 

 as the acid induces inflammation of the mucous membrane of the 

 stomach. Pickling the leaves mth chalk will, in all probability, 

 prevent this, as the soluble acid would be converted into calcium 

 oxalate, which is insoluble in the stomach. Leaves of the beet 

 change through keeping ; in fact, no other cattle food loses so 

 much by storing as these leaves. The mineral constituents suffer 

 the most, especially potash-magnesia. Phosphoric and silicic acid 

 and chlorine — the soluble oxalates — are also removed, for tlioy urc 

 reduced from I't-I to '53 per cent. This shows why it is of sn imifli 

 advantage to preserve the leaves, and accounts for the well-kuowu 

 fact that beet leaves are comparatively harmless after having been 

 allowed to decay. Aconite may be extracted from beet leaves, as 

 well as other organic substances. 



The residue left liy tin' diffused method of extracting the juice is 

 of much greater value for cattle fodder than that obtained by the 

 hydraulic or maceration ju-ocesses. We now come to a matter on 

 which some chemists differ — I mean iu the relation of phosphoric acid 

 in root and leaves to the sugar in beet. I will give three different 

 results deduced by separate chemists, and leave your readers to 

 judge for thcn\selves if there is, or is not, a relation between the 

 two. These are the results: — 



1. There is a certain constancy in the proportion existing 

 between the amount of sugar in beet and the amount of phosjihoric 

 acid in the root and leaves, and between the sugar and the ash. 

 Experiments gave the proportion of the former 100 : 1-2 and 

 100 : 1-15 ; and the proportion between sugar in beet and ash (root 

 iind leaves), 100:18-3. 



2. Gave for the proportion 100 : 1'15, and says that tlie relation 

 is constant. It will be seen that his results coincide with Number 1. 

 The higher the yield of sugar the less the soil is impoverished, wo 

 aro informed. 



3. Made experiments to prove that there is a relation between 

 the potash absorbed in the root to the sugar produced, lie says 

 this is constant ; viz. — about 100 : 2 ; but he could not observe any 

 constant relation between the phosphoric acid and tho sugar. 



After seeing these three reports, we see that there is some doubt 

 about tho matter, which will, we hope, soon be cleared up. It 

 certainly looks as if there was a certain constant relation, when 

 two chemists, working sep.arately, coincide in their results ; but we 

 cannot be satisfied until every doubt is removed. 

 (To he continued.) 



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LAKGE SUN-SPOT.' 



[866] — Once more, and for the fourth time within the last eighi 

 months, there is a spot on the sun so large as to be visible to tlie 

 unaided eye. 



In observing the sun with my telescope on Wednesday and Thurs- 

 day last, I saw, besides many other smaller ones, one very pretty 

 group of fair-sized spots. After Thursday, I had not an oppor- 

 tunity of observing tho sun with the telescope until yesterday, and 

 I then found that in the meantime one of the spots of this group 

 had grown into a very large one, and on procuring a piece of ordi- 

 nai-y smoked glass to look through, I could see the spot distinctly 

 with unaided eyes, it being situated a little north of the sun's 

 centre, and I have again seen it in the same way this morning. 



Seen in the telescope, it is a remarkably pretty spot, the central 

 black part, or umbra, being oblong in shape and crossed in several 

 directions by the white streaks called bridges. Just to the east of 

 this spot, and apparently almost touching it, is another good-sized 

 one, verj' long and narrow in shape ; and in close proximity to these 

 two are several much smaller ones, altogether forming a very 

 pretty group. And then, in addition to all these, there are many 

 other small ones scattered about the sun's face, principally near the 

 western edge, so that just now the sun is a pretty sight to any one 

 possessing the means of scrutinising it. Excelsior. 



Huddersfield, July 2, 1883. 



ANSWEK TO GENEALOGICAL PUZZLE IN OUE LAST. 



[867] — X marries M, and has a son, A. His wife dies (say in 

 1820), and, in 1822, he marries again, N; and has a son, Tom. 

 X dies in 1824, and his widow, N, marries Z, and they have a 

 son, B. 



Or— M 00 X 00 N 00 Z 



I I I 

 A Tom B 



865, page 13. Solution : — 



A's father dies. 



A's mother marries again, and Tom is born. 

 A's mother dies. 

 Tom is Irother to A. 



Tom's father marries again, and B is born. 

 Tom is brother to B. 



A and B are in no consanguinons way related. 

 [There are several ways in which tho puzzle may be solved. 

 Query, How many ? — R. P.] 



RATIONAL DKESS FOR MEN. 



[868]_I think "Mr. G. C. Mesnard," in writing in favour of 

 braces over the belt, may not know how the bolt should bo made or 

 worn. I have woni my bolt for six years. It was made for me l>y 

 my tailor, Mr. Davies, of South ilolton-street, Bond-street ; it is 

 Jin. wide, made of morocco leather, has a rinij over each hip, and a 

 special buckle. "The rings and buckles in my case are silver, as I 

 conld not get the buckle otherwise. It should be w-orn as low over 



