204 THE SUGAR BEET. 



to pay for each saccharine degree 4.50 fi-ancs ($0.90) 

 in September, and for this to fluctuate according to the 

 season. 



This principle is wrong, as tlie density is no cri- 

 terion ; beets having a great density frequently do not 

 contain as much actual sugar as others having a small 

 specific gravity, these variations being due to foreign 

 elements contained in the juice. In some cases the 

 farmer has one chemist and the manufacturer another. 

 The average result is considered the exact basis, and 

 for 10 per cent, of sugar is then paid a given price, and 

 all above or below is increased or reduced proportionally. 



As before stated,^ the proportion between the exact 

 amount of sugar indicated with the polariscope^ and the 

 total substance indicated with an ai'eometer should 

 never be under 0.75. In other words, this would rep- 

 resent, when expressed in humidity, 75 per cent, of 

 sugar to 100 of juice, and the value of the beet in- 

 crease as this becomes larger. A few words pertain- 

 ing to the Yentzke method, which is most simple, will 

 be of interest. The juice is brought to a uniform 

 density of 1.0188, corresponding to 6.6° Beaume, and 



' Several beets should be selected and a given portion of each extracted, 

 this to be reduced to a pulp, the total heated to 59° F. and Beauni6's areometer 

 placed in the same, this instrument gives the total of the solid substance T. To 

 1 10 c. c. of this juice is added 10 c. c. of subacetate of lead and the total filtered, 

 and this liquid is tested in the polariscope ; ■whatever be the indication, this 

 should be augmented 10 per cent., representing the lead in the solution. If we 

 have t. per cent, of sugar. T — t will be the foreign elements. 



' See " Selection and Growing of the Seed." 



