Miscellanies. 393 



of the flask, it may be affirmed to be beet sugar. The precipitate is 

 oxalate of lime, which is not found in cane sugar. 



2d. To a solution of sugar in distilled water, add a few drops of 

 sub-acetate of lead : the foreign matters of the sugar will combine 

 with the lead, and they are always more abundant in beet sugar than 

 in that of cane. They are precipitated by a few hours rest in beet 

 sugar, and remain suspended in that of cane. 



Roots which grow much out of the ground, yield less good sugar 

 than those which are well buried. Those which grow upon richly 

 manured land run much to leaf, but their juice is less rich in sugar 

 and more abundant in mucilage. A calcareous soil appears to be 

 the best for the cultivation of sugar beets. The year 1829, the au- 

 tumn of which was very wet, gave, contrary to expectation, a sugar 

 harvest equal to common years. 



The molasses of beets has been advantageously used in fodder 

 with cut straw. The pulp makes a valuable manure for clayey and 

 close bound soils. 



Some sow the seeds in beds and transplant the roots, but the 

 greater number of cultivators prefer sowing them in place. — Bib, 

 Univ. Mai, 1832. 



2. Relative values of different kinds of food for sheep ; by M. 

 DeDombasle. — Some experiments performed by this celebrated 

 agriculturist, are well worthy of being recorded, as approaching 

 nearer to an exact determination of the question of the relative nu- 

 tritive properties of a few of the more common aliments of sheep and 

 cattle than any which we remember to have seen. He divided forty 

 nine sheep into seven lots, of seven sheep each, in such a manner 

 that the total weight of each lot should be, as nearly as possible, equal 

 to each of the rest. Each lot was kept in a separate division of the 

 stable, the food was given to each lot in rations of equal weight, and 

 by means of scales, the total weight of each lot was taken once a 

 week, and the experiment was continued five weeks. The weight 

 of each lot was four hundred and thirty six pounds. 



The substances subjected to examination were I.Drylucern. 2. 

 Oil cake from flax seed. 3. Oats and barley. 4. Crude potatoes. 

 5. Cooked potatoes. 6. Beets. 7. Carrots. 



The dry lucern formed the unit of the estimate. One of the seven 

 lots was fed exclusively on dry lucern, and each of the six others 

 received just half the quantity of lucern, and the remainder of the 



Vol. XXIII.— No. 2. 50 



