110 FEEDING WITH SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR, ETC. 



i The idea does not seem in many respects to be practicable; 

 it is, however, very advantageous when sugar factories cultivate 

 the beets themselves. Under these conditions the roots are 

 farmed in the vicinity of the factory; but when it comes to the 

 transportation of leaves for a distance of 2J miles at a period 

 when all means of traction are more expensive, such a system 

 would be excessively costly. It would be necessary that the 

 plant should consist of an apparatus for cutting the leaves, for 

 the drying in a special furnace, and a movable engine that would 

 carry the appliance where it was required. The combined 

 machinery should be placed under a light movable roof. 



The desiccation of leaves has the great advantage of doing 

 away with the moisture that may have been produced during 

 siloing, under which circumstances they would more surely ap- 

 proach the feeding value of hay. Furthermore the product 

 would be vastly more healthy and would not be possessed of 

 any of the laxative properties of fresh leaves. Moreover the 

 amount of oxalic acid they contain is considerably reduced. 

 Already the beet leaves that have remained on the field during 

 an interval of a week or ten days after the harvesting of the 

 beets, lose a considerable proportion of their oxalic acid. This 

 statement, previously mentioned, is absolutely true. Apparently 

 there has been produced a sort of fermentation which reduces 

 the oxalic acid. However, this decrease may be the outcome 

 of a continuation of some physiological action of a substance 

 contained in the leaves after they are separated from the main 

 body of the root, and this deduction increases during desicca- 

 tion. There seems to be every reason to believe that there is 

 great truth in this assertion, for the analysis, as given by 

 Vibrans a well-known chemist, substantiates his views. The 

 dry leaves contain 0.03 to 0.05 per cent, of oxalic acid, and 15 

 to 20 per cent, of water, 5 per cent, albumen and 12 per cent, 

 sugar. Buttner and Meyer allow only 0.23 per cent, of oxalic 

 acid. On the other hand it is true that in their method there 

 is no explanation of the loss of oxalic acid during the pressing 

 of leaves in the Klusemann press. 



Beet leaf There is no example to be given of any serious complica- 

 feeding. tion arising from the special beet leaf feeding. It is well to 



