210 



SUGAR BEET SEED. 



The best results, however, appear to' be obtained 

 on soils that have been properly prepared. Small roots 

 must be of regular_ shape. The supposed objection to 

 small beets is, that they mature badly and bring about 

 great irregularity in the crop of seed. But, by having 

 the patches arranged in several categories, large, aver- 

 age and small, it is possible, even with small beets, to 

 obtain a maturity of considerable regularity; those of 

 the large are followed by the middle size, and last of 

 all, the very small mothers. 



In fact, from Schaaf's experiment, it is shown that 

 sipall mothers obtained by close planting of seed from 

 selected beets have the following advantage: They 

 very much increase in size when they are planted in the 

 spring, and they penetrate to a considerable depth in 

 the soil, which is followed by many strong lateral roots 

 before the portions above ground show much sign of 

 life. During very windy weather, they remain in posi- 

 tion, and owing to their excessive soil penetration can 

 struggle very considerably against excessive drouth. 

 The roots of mothers which are planted the second 

 year, and which have obtained their full development 

 during their first year's growth, will undergo very few 

 comparative changes, while above the surface the vege- 

 tation is excessive. With certain varieties of beets these 

 mothers are forced out of their position by a very slight 

 cause, and in most cases the vibration is constant and 

 continued, leaving a funnel-like space between the root 

 and soil, and as a result their points of contact with the 

 ground are very few in number. 



Some of the practical experiments with seed from 

 very small roots and from normal beets have led to the 

 following results: 



Density (Brix). 

 Polarization ... 

 Purity 



Normal Beets 



600 to 700 grams 



(1.3 to 1.6 Ifas). 



23.0 



20.2 



87.0 



Small Beets 

 (0.06 to 0.2 lbs). 



23.7 

 20.3 

 85.4 



