102 THE SUGAR BEET. 



great saving of trouble and money, and will permit a 

 given beet sugar establishment to render competition 

 impossible. There are many examples which we could 

 give of factories situated within ten miles of each 

 other, where one is realizing large profits and the other 

 only paying its expenses, owing to the bad selection 

 either of the ground or to the want of men versed in 

 the new scientific agricultural discoveries. 



The color of the soils seems to vary from a light yel- 

 low to dark brown, and in many cases to black or nearly 

 so. The last has been known to give excellent results 

 in Russia. Those we have seen near Magdeburg, in 

 Germany, have a darkish hue. 



1^0 given color can be named as being the best, for 

 in many cases it is owing to an oxide of iron producing 

 a bad effect upon the vegetation. In cold climates, 

 where the warm season is of a short duration, the heat 

 absorbed by the soil, and facilitating the various 

 chemical actions produced upon the plant, should be 

 in a given time a maximum, and for that reason a 

 darkish hue is preferable. 



Some years ago elaborate theories were advanced 

 wishing to demonstrate that a soil to yield roots of a 

 given quality must be of a given composition. 



The following analysis is of nine samples of soils 

 where the beet has been grown and where most excel- 

 lent results were obtained in Prussia : (Schiepzig, 

 Salzmunde, Quillschina, Dolitz, Besenstedt, Schnitters- 

 dorf, Friedeburgerhohe, Galgenberg, Benkendorf.) 



