SACCHARINE CONTENT OF SUGAR BEETS 
375 
years nor from beets grown in different fields were grouped for this 
study. Hence each biometrical constant was determined from a 
single year's crop produced under fairly uniform field conditions. 
The results obtained from this material were as follows: 
1. The coefficients of correlation found between weight of root and 
percentage of sugar were — .253, — .258, — .254, — .257, and — .499; 
between weight of root and quantity of sugar, .920. 
2. The correlation between percentage and quantity of sugar in 
roots of 35 grams range in weight was nearly perfect, viz., .93, .96, and 
.99 but in roots of miscellaneous sizes no correlation was apparent 
between percentage of sugar and quantity of sugar per root. 
3. No correlation was found between the sugar content of the root 
and type of leaf margin or color of foliage. 
4. Shallow groove of petiole, conical crown, and shallow root 
furrows showed a very small amount of correlation with a relatively 
low quantity and relatively low percentage of sugar; flat crown, deep 
root furrows, deep groove of petiole, smooth leaf surface, flat foliage 
and coarse leaf texture also showed slight evidence of correlation with a 
large quantity and relatively high percentage of sugar. These cor- 
relations were so small, however, as to cast some doubt upon their 
permanence and practical significance. 
5. Contrasting types of sugar beets were formed by making sep- 
arate combinations of characters slightly correlated with low per- 
formance and characters slightly correlated with high performance. 
The records of beets embodying these characters were picked out 
from those of the general population and placed in their respective 
groups. The behavior of the types as shown by their mean values 
corresponded to the class of characters composing them but the dif- 
ferences were very small. 
In conclusion the writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to 
Dr. J. Arthur Harris for many helpful suggestions. 
Bureau of Plant Industry, 
Dept. of Agriculture, Washington 
LITERATURE CITED 
1. Fruwirth. C. Ztichtung Landw. Kulturpfl. 4: 371-455. 19 10. 
2. V. Riimker, Kurt. Einiges iiber Zuckerrubenzuchtung. Blatter fur Zucker- 
riibenbau. i: 234. 1894. 
3. Harris, J. Arthur & Gortner, Ross Aiken. Journal Industrial and Engineering 
Chemistry 5: i. 1913. Biochemical Bulletin 2: 5. 1913. (The problem 
