LEAVES OF THE SUGAR BEET, 



95 



been derived when permitted to fall naturally on the 

 ground, as thus a large amount of the salts, etc., that 

 have been absorbed by the plants are returned to where 

 they justly belong, and these are as a general thing 

 considerable, and are, according to Vivien — ' 



Total Elements taken up by one Hectare {two and a half acres). 



The whole principle is wrong. In the first place, 

 the leaves generally taken, as before stated, are those 

 that have commenced to change color. These are not 

 the most nourishing ; then again they are stripped from 

 the root at different times, each having a bad final 

 , effect. If .this is made a practice of, it is well to wait 

 until the harvesting, then they are as nourishing as they 

 were two months previous, they then being brown, 



' See A. Vivien, "Trait6 de la fabrication de sucre," 1878. 



