240 THE SUGAR BEET. 



(/?) 1. Heat. — Caused by the conditions of the outer 

 atmosphere or by the excessive height of the piles of 

 beets which crush the lower layers by their weight, 

 thus causing a certain fermentation, resulting from an 

 elevation of temperature, during which period the 

 sugar is being exhausted. 



2. Cold. — Beets when exposed to a temperature of 

 27° F. freeze, a thaw then takes place, when fermen- 

 tation will set in, having the same effect as before 

 mentioned. 



Want of Yentilation? — The importance of ventilation 

 was observed by Pasteur,^ who noticed that when beets 

 were placed in an atmosphere of carbonic acid they 

 were rapidly attacked by a fermentation, wasting a 

 portion of the sugar of the beet, that remaining being 

 transformed into grape sugar. Some few lines above 

 we mentioned the fact that beets rich in sugar were 

 more easily kept than those having but a small per- 

 centage. The cause of this difference we attribute to 

 the excess of nitric elements in the beets having little 

 sugar, which will activate a decomposition, but others 

 believe it is owing to the difference of the physical 

 constitution of the tissue.^ 



Prevention of this Loss. — Various ideas have been 

 proposed to prevent the above loss of sugar caused by 



' In Mr. Grant's book on beet-root sugar he says : "I have seen such vast 

 quantities kept in such fine condition, etc., we doubt its necessity." 

 2 See Pasteur's "Theorie des Ferments." 

 ' Champignon and Pellet. 



