56 SUGAR BEET SEED. 



are impure, owing to the dirt, etc., that have not been 

 eliminated during the process of washing. If the manu- 

 facturer purchases such beets, as the farmer claims he 

 must^ owing to a binding contract, he gets more sugar, 

 apparently, in the beet, but this sugar costs more to 

 extract than it is worth, and, consequently, there fol- 

 lows a money loss in the end. It is much to be regret- 

 ted that, as a rule, the manufacturer and seed producer 

 are two separate mdividuals. Sometimes, however, the 

 seed grower is also a beet-sugar manufacturer; among 

 others we could mention Legras, in France, and 

 Wanzleben, in Germany. The purchaser of such seed 

 derives a benefit from the care given to create and 

 maintain a variety of beet that is destined to give heavy 

 sugar yields at the factory, and satisfactory returns at 

 the farm. 



The Legras beet has only French antecedents, 

 straight leaves with very pronounced nerves. The 

 selection on the field is done with scrupulous care; 

 the persons having this work in charge have been 

 trained through a series of years, and have strict orders 

 to adhere to regular rules. Some years ago, not 

 more than one beet in twelve was sent to the labora- 

 tory to be analyzed; now the selection is an easy mat- 

 ter, for the roots that do not possess the physical requi- 

 sites are the exception. The salt-bath selection made 

 by many seed growers is on a basis having the sugar 

 percentage only in view, and it is misleading, for a 

 large proportion of such roots are rejected upon 

 chemical examination; hence, it is labor lost. 

 From what has just been said, the field of selec- 

 tion is the starting-point to success, and whatever 

 be the exterior characteristics, the seed is sure 

 to transmit them. However, there are excep- 

 tions, and a beet that promises favorably from exterior 

 signs may be rejected after having been analvzed, 

 weather, soil, etc., having had some mysterious effect. 



