CHAPTER XIV 
FACTORS AFFECTING QUALITY OF BEETS 
Success in the beet-sugar industry depends on the 
maintenance of high quality in the beets. The industry 
was made possible only by improving the quality of the 
crop; in the first years of beet-sugar making, profits were 
realized only in the more favorable seasons. Since the 
quality of beets has been so much improved, the industry 
has gained a foothold that places the raising of sugar- 
beets as one of the important phases of agriculture in 
many sections. As the success of the industry is so 
closely related to the quality of beets, everybody con- 
nected with their raising or the manufacture of sugar from 
them is interested in conditions that affect quality. 
WHAT ARE GOOD BEETS 
In choosing desirable types of beets, several definite 
ideas should be kept in mind. Chief attention must be 
given to high sugar-content combined with high yield. 
These two characters are somewhat antagonistic, yet 
neither can be neglected. The end sought is the highest 
acre-yield of sugar. At the same time, it is desirable to 
have beets of a size and shape that can be harvested and 
handled at the lowest possible labor cost to the farmer as 
well as beets from which the manufacturer can extract 
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