Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 533 



of beet roots. A moderate or even large amount of clay, far from 

 being an undesirable element, is very useful in this crop, provided 

 the land is well worked and the clay has become friable by exposure 

 to the air, and by general good management. There is no soil so 

 well suited for beets as a good, well-worked, deeply-cultivated and 

 thoroughly-drained clay loam ; or, in other words, a soil containing a 

 good deal of clay, with a fair proportion of sand. Most clay loams 

 contain sufficient lime. On land deficient in lime the sugar-beet is 

 apt to get fingered and toed, and hence care should be taken to ascer- 

 tain whether the soil set apart for the cultivation of this crop contains 

 a fair proportion of lime. In the north of Germany, beet-growera 

 sow not less than fifteen pounds of seed to the acre ; this is about 

 double the quantity of mangold seed usually sown, because beet-roots 

 have to be grown more closely than mangolds. If grown too far 

 apart the roots are larger, but remain poor in sugar. In general the 

 distance between the rows, and from plant to plant, should not be 

 less than twelve nor greater than eighteen inches. Beet roots gene- 

 rally get ripe in about five months. A good indication of maturity is 

 afibrded when a root is cut in two with a knife. If the newly cut 

 surface of the beet rapidly turn color on exposure, first red, then 

 brown, and finally dark, the ripening process is not completed ; but 

 if they remain unchanged, or turns only slightly reddish, it may be 

 taken for granted that the root is ripe. Great care is necessary in 

 harvesting the crop, for the slightest injury to the roots is sure to be 

 followed by a proportionate loss of sugar. When fermentation sets 

 in, fruit-sugar or glucose is produced, which does not crystallize. The 

 crop should be taken up in dry weather and exposed for a few days 

 to the air, but never to the sun ; when stored, especial precautions 

 should be taken to protect the roots from wet and frost. 



SoEGo Syrup. 

 Mr. J. B. Lyman. — I am very glad the subject of additional 

 resources for sugar is before the Club. Disturbances in Cuba, the 

 derangement of the labor system, and want of capital in Louisiana 

 have produced a scarcity of this article, and the likelihood is that all 

 sweetening substances will be much dearer than they now are. It 

 was on this account that I was more ready to accept the commission 

 of the Club to visit Cincinnati and the region adjacent, to learn the 

 present condition of the sorgo interest. I find rather less cane planted 

 this year than formerly, yet tlie falling off has been slight. More 



