210 The Sugar-Beet in America 
words, latitude, is the most potent element of environ- 
ment in the production of beets rich in sugar. 
It has already been indicated in Chapter V that the 
soil does not have so great an effect as some other factors 
in modifying the percentage of sugar in the beet. It 
does, however, have some effect and it has a decided in- 
fluence on the size and shape of beets as well as.on the 
purity of the juice. Headden?! found that an excess of 
nitrates in the soil has a decidedly detrimental effect on 
the quality of beets. He? showed earlier that the amount 
of ash in the beet is increased by the presence of alkali. 
Voorhees? has pointed out that the kind of fertilizer and 
the time it is applied influence the sugar-beet. This has 
been discussed more fully in Chapter VI. It has often 
been observed that beets high in sugar have a lower 
percentage of ash than have poor beets. 
Soil moisture during the growing season is one of the 
most important factors influencing the quality of beets. 
This has been discussed in Chapter X on irrigation and 
drainage. 
There is a great difference in the quality of individual 
beets raised under the same conditions. This results from 
the ordinary variation found among all plants and animals. 
Part of this variation is due to heredity and is trans- 
missible, but part of it cannot be transmitted to its 
progeny. There is, of course, considerable difference in 
the quality of beets of different strains, the same as there 
is a variation in the amount of milk given by different 
1 Headden, W. P., Colo. Exp. Sta., Bul. No. 183 (1912). 
2? Headden, W. P., Colo. Exp. Sta., Bul. No. 46 (1898). 
3 Voorhees, E. B., “‘ Fertilizers,’? p. 344. 
