36 aiTGAK BEET SEED. 



limits of possibilities of the existing laboratory facili- 

 ties. This could never have been attained had not the 

 most recent innovation, meaning progress, been 

 resorted to. This working of the said laboratory is 

 described in some detail in the present writing. It is 

 interesting to contrast the results obtained in two 

 months with those extending from harvesting to 

 replanting, as is most generally practiced. During 

 the current year there will be not less than 255,000 

 analyses made during an interval of sixty days. These 

 will show about as usual that there were 27,000 

 beets testing between 14 to 16 per cent, sugar; 

 nearly 30,000 polarizing 15 to 16 per cent.; 19,000, 16 

 to 17 per cent.; over 35,000 between 17 and 18 per 

 cent.; 10,000, 18 to 19 per cent., and 2000, 19 to 20 per 

 cent. Besides which, must be mentioned 4500 analy- 

 ses made outside of the ordinary or regular laboratory 

 work. Those beets known as Elite, testing 20 per 

 cent, and more, are analyzed for the second time to 

 make sure that the first observations were reliable. 



The most experienced seed producers have now 

 come to the conclusion that it is a waste of time to 

 attempt ameliorating the saccharine quality of beets 

 when 20 to 22 per cent, sugar is attained. 

 Every experiment, made with the greatest care to 

 increase the latter, resulted in comparatively inferior 

 roots, containing about 17 per cent, sugar. This 

 is self-evident, as there exists a physiological law, 

 that when a certain degree of perfection is reached by 

 a well-organized selection, there is a constant tendency 

 to revert to the inferior condition. Special care is 

 always given to these high testing beets. They must 

 be kept separate and watched — as sometimes they are 

 stolen. They may be used for regenerating the race. 

 Determining just which these superior beets are, may 

 be accomplished under far better circumstances by 

 early rather than late selection. The type of these very 



