LEAVES OF THE SUGAR BEET. 



93 



As a general thing it is admitted that the weight of 

 the leaves in a given crop is about equal to one-half 

 that of the roots, and one-fourth to one-third for beets 

 containing 8 to 9 per cent, of sugar. 



Corenwinder was the first to prove that the amount 

 of cinders in the leaves in general augmented as they 

 grew older, and that the nitric elements diminished. 

 We analyzed leaves of the beet at different ages, and 

 found in all cases this principle to hold good. 



1st. Leaves, very young 

 2d. " 2 months old 

 3d. '• fuU^' grown 



Weight. 



Cinders 

 per cent. 



7 grs. troy 

 K5 " 

 375 " 



20.6 



28.2 

 31.0 



Nitric 

 element. 



25.2 

 18.0 

 15.3 



In other words, small young leaves contain more nitric 

 elements and less cinders than the large ones.^ This 

 being the fact, we may conclude that beets rich in 

 sugar will be possessed of leaves giving by analysis a 



' Several experiments made by J. Isodore Pierre have proven that small 

 leaves contain less water than large ones. ._ 



