140 



of each of the twenty beets was immediately weighed, the juice expressed and the 

 sucrose determined in the latter. The No. 2 halves of the beets were also weighed 

 immediately and afterwards laid upon a board with the cut surfaces upward and re- 

 mained thus for five days, when they were reweighed, in order to ascertain the loss 

 of weight by evaporation. After reweighing, the No. 2 halves were immediately 

 analyzed and the actual sucrose contained in the juice of each half determined. 



Having determined the sucrose contained in the No. 1 half of each of the beets, 

 and having further determined the loss of weight in each of the No. 2 halves, it was 

 possible to observe whether a decrease of sucrose had taken place or not. The per 

 cent increase of sucrose in the juices of the No. 2 halves should be exactly equal to the 

 per cent decrease in the weight of the beets, if no loss of sucrose had taken place. 



Instead of the data belonging to each beet being given, the mean data will be given 

 of the No. 1 and No. 2 series. 



If the juices of the No. 2 halves had gone up in sucrose in the exact proportion 

 per cent that the beets had decreased in weight, those juices would have contained 

 20.2 per cent instead of 18.4 per cent which was actually found. The difference be- 

 tween 20.2 per cent and 18.4 per cent gives the loss of 9 per cent of the original con- 

 tent of sucrose in the beets. 



The data obtained from the experiments with large numbers of beets of six varie- 

 ties, and the observations made with the halves of the individual beets, indicate that 

 a loss of sucrose takes place when the beets are removed from their normal connec- 

 tion with the soil. 



In reviewing generally the characteristics of the season, and the result of the ex- 

 perimental work of the station, we have to observe the following : 



The late date upon which it was decided to establish the station at its present loca- 

 tion did not permit of the best advised plan of cultivation, and delayed the con- 

 ducting of farm operations till April, which should have been performed in the 

 preceding fall. 



The cultural season was marked by the widest extremes of climatic conditions. 

 The planting period was a continuance of drought, lasting from April 20 to June 2. 

 At the end of the dry period a succession of weeks of rains followed, which were ab- 

 normal when compared with the usual precipitation for the months of June and 

 July. The abnormal conditions accompanied the development of the season to its 

 end. The steady and continuous heat common to the months of July and August 

 was, in the most part, postponed till the middle of September; and the extreme 

 heat of the latter month was followed again by rains which amounted to more than 

 twice the normal precipitation for that period. The results of the work of this sea- 

 son have been achieved under the influence of climatic conditions unusually un- 

 favorable. 



Experiments conducted comparatively with the soils of Maryland, Indiana, and 

 Nebraska indicated the peculiar adaptability of the soil to the climate in the latter 

 State, which fact may be found to obtain equally for the other States. 



The general results of the analytical season are found to be satisfactory both in 

 respect of the weight of beets and yield of sugar per acre. In such respect the 

 results of the Schuyler Station compare satisfactorily with the work of correspond- 

 ing stations in Europe. 



The observations made upon the results of the six varieties used in the experi- 

 mental work of the station, have resolved those varieties into tAVO classes, in respect 



