224 SUGAR BEET SEED. 



the experiments we have just referred to, says: 

 " In the experiments conducted at the station at 

 Schuyler during the season of 1893, a comparison of 

 the beets grown from domestic and imported seeds was 

 made. The plants from the native-grown seed seemed 

 to have a higher vitality and to be better suited to the 

 climatic conditions of the locality than those grown 

 from imported seeds. They showed during the growing 

 season a more abundant foliage and a better develop- 

 ment of roots. This higher vitality and quality of the 

 beets grown from domestic seed illustrate in a forcible 

 degree the advisability of the production of our beet 

 seed at home. Even granting that seeds produced in 

 foreign countries have the same high qualities, it must 

 be admitted that their vitality is in danger of being 

 very much diminished during shipment to tlijs country. 

 The moist air of the holds of the ships in which they 

 are transported often produces moldiness and incipient 

 germination, which tend to greatly diminish their 

 value. Not only did the beets produced from the 

 home-grown seed have, a higher percentage of sugar, 

 but they also afforded a higher yield per acre, 

 as determined in the experiments at Schuyler. The 

 mean tonnage per acre from the home-grown seed was 

 21. 1 and from the imported seed 17.9. The mean 

 pounds of sugar produced per acre from the home- 

 grown seed was 5891 and from the imported seed 5185. 

 This shows an increase of about 12 per cent, in the 

 actual quantity of sugar per acre when domestic seed 

 was used. These data should be carefully studied by 

 all those who are interested in the production of the 

 beet sugar in this country." 



A fact apparently overlooked is, that scientific 

 experiments have proven that the germinating quality 

 of seed is hastened by change of climate. We refer 

 not so much to the seed itself, but to the seed outcome 

 of mothers from the imported product. So what appar- 



