SELECTING BEETS FOR SEED. 



61 



some important observations, showing that there is a 

 relation between the number of leaves and the saccha- 

 rine quality of the beet. 



Vilmorln seed. 



This appears to be also true for the weight of 

 leaves; with various kinds of seed the results were 

 as follows: 



Vilmoriu seed 



Senior Legrand seed ( 



"Various seed. 



These results -vould tend to show that there is to 

 be found in leaves some excellent and practical means 

 for physical selection. At Madgeburg, beets that are 

 selected for mothers have but few outer leaves, and 

 these are flat and grow near the ground; at their cen- 

 tres they are in a cluster, and their general tint is bright 

 green; they are not spotted or fringed with red. 



Knauer gives preference to those roots which 

 have a central cluster of leaves arranged in a sort of 

 horizontal bouquet; the leaves are of an average size, 

 with rather fragile borders, the outer leaves being large 

 and bent over. He places great stress on the 

 physical selection based upon the leaves. Wychinski 

 declares that the best beets have small delicate leaves. 

 The nerves on leaves also appear to play an important 

 role. Large nerves in the centre of the leaf, and with 

 latent nerves which do not intercross, are beets very 

 inferior to those with delicate leaves, three central 



