LEAVES OF THE SUGAR BEET. 



97 



disadvantages/ At one time it was argned^ that this 

 stripping of the leaves was of great advantage, as it 

 thus permitted the root to receive an airing which it 

 would not otherwise have had ; this is absurd, for rea- 

 sons before explained. The Germans were the first to 



Fig. 20. 



call attention to the fact that the advantages gained on 

 one side did not compensate for the loss on the other, and 



' Harvesting. See " Preservation and Conservation." 

 * J. Isodore Pierre contends that the stripping of the leaves influences but 

 little the nitric elements contained in the roots. 



