9(5 THE SUGAE BEET. 



and the harm done is comparatively small, although it 

 nevertheless exists.^ 



We had a most curious experience in 'New Jersey. 

 Having planted a given area in beets, vrhen these had 

 four and a half months' growth, the pig« of the neigh- 

 boring farm made their escape and indulged in eating 

 the leaves of some and left those of others untouched. 

 We analyzed the roots in both cases one and a half 

 month afterwards, found 6 per cent, of sugar in the 

 mutilated and 11 per cent, in those untouched. Here 

 the diflference was most striking. During the interval 

 other small leaves had made their appearance, which 

 they always will do. The number of the new growths 

 will correspond to the number of leaves pulled from 

 the beet ; the consequence is, the neck becomes much 

 longer, and the loss of sugar seems to be proportional 

 to the length of the same. But, as beforie stated,^ the 

 neck contains a greater amount of foreign substance 

 and less sugar than any other portion of the root ; the 

 consequence is that there is not only a loss of sugar 

 resulting from the stripping, but the difficulty of work- 

 ing the beets for the extraction of the saccharine ele- 

 ments is greatly increased. It is apparently better to 

 cut the neck from the beet, thus permitting this also 

 to remain on the ground, but the operation has many 



' The above is somewhat in opposition to Pay en's idea, he contending; that 

 more benefit will result from feeding them to cattle than permitting them to 

 remain on the ground. 



2 See " Study of the Beet." 



