CONSERVATION OF THE SUGAR BEET. 241 



second growth, etc. ; as a principal it is of great im- 

 portance to keep out all light and dampness. 



Mr. Ballon two years ago made some experiments 

 in public to show how these young sprouts might be 

 destroyed. These consisted in causing a current of sul- 

 phurous acid to circulate through the entire mass of the 

 silos; this will have for effect not only the above, but will 

 prevent a similar growth in the future. This chemical 

 is forced through pipes placed in different portions of 

 the silos ;- the latter are perforated with small holes. 



Another important operation is to sti'ongly ventilate 

 in order to get rid of COo, replacing this by an equiv- 

 alent volume of air. The fermentation is the most 

 difficult of all things to prevent. 



If beets that are not in a good condition be placed 

 with others that are perfectly healthy the disease soon 

 spreads ; hence the importance of dividing the silos 

 into several compartments. In this manner whatever 

 occurs it will be local. The height of the piles of beets 

 should not exceed six feet without special precaution, 

 and that is to activate a ventilation by communicating 

 with the exterior. These openings should be one-four- 

 teenth of a square metre to every cubic metre of beets 

 in the silos ; in this manner an excess of heat is not to 

 be dreaded. When a given temperature is obtained 

 it should, if possible, be kept constant. One of the 

 best non-conductors is earth, which will keep the mass 

 from the spontaneous changes that so frequently take 

 place in the outer atmosphere. 



