Factors Affecting Quality of Beets 211 
breeds of cows. The relation of breeding to quality is 
discussed rather fully in the next chapter. 
The storage of beets may have considerable effect on 
their quality, although if they are stored properly the 
quality is not affected materially. A normal amount of 
respiration goes on in all beets; hence there is a gradual 
loss of sugar. This may be slight if the temperature is 
near the freezing point; but it increases rapidly as the 
temperature rises. Claassen! says that the rate of res- 
piration does not seem to be affected by the percentage 
of sugar in the beets, but that it is much more rapid in 
unripe than in ripe beets. Breaking the beets into pieces 
and also any other mechanical injury tend to hasten 
respiration. 
Freezing does not seem to injure the quality of beets, 
particularly if they are allowed to thaw slowly. Re- 
peated freezing and thawing, however, has a detrimental 
effect, especially if the beets are allowed to become warm 
between the freezings. Headden? found that though 
simple freezing does not change the sugar-content of the 
beet, the distribution of the sugar is affected if only part 
of the beet is frozen. Sugar moves from the frozen to the 
unfrozen part. 
Drying increases the percentage of sugar in the beet, 
but the total amount is not increased; in fact there is a 
loss of sugar when the beets are allowed to lose moisture. 
The purity is also reduced by drying. It is also more 
difficult to extract sugar from wilted beets. The factory, 
as well as the farmer, loses when beets are allowed to wilt. 
1 Claassen, H., ‘‘Beet Sugar Manufacture,’ p. 8. 
? Headden, W. P., Colo. Exp. Sta., Bul. No. 46. 
