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On the Chemistry of Silesian Sugar-Beets. 
with very light green-coloured ribs, and strong green and long 
petioles. 
The Silesian beet does not yield so large a percentage of sugar 
as the two preceding sorts, nevertheless it is much more exten- 
sively grown both in France and Germany than any other variety, 
because it yields a larger weight of roots per acre, is of a 
vigorous growth, and produces a larger amount of sugar per acre. 
4. Siberian Beet. — A coarse pear-shaped root, with yellowish- 
white flesh ; the top of the root is green-coloured, large, fre- 
quently hollow, and grows out of the ground. Leaves abundant 
and strong, light-green, with greenish, almost white-coloured ribs, 
and very strong, fleshy, greenish-white long petioles. It resembles 
the Silesian beet in appearance, is coarser, and yields a large 
weight of roots per acre, but a still smaller percentage of sugar 
than the Silesian beet. 
5. Imperial Beet. — A delicate white pear-shaped root, with 
fine white flesh. The root grows almost entirely under ground. 
The top of the root growing above ground is small, and light- 
green. The leaves are light-green, erect, curled on the margin, 
indented with numerous light-green veins, and spring from 
short and strong petioles of the colours of the mid-rib and veins. 
It does not yield so well as the Silesian beet, but is considered 
very rich in sugar. 
By selection and careful cultivation several sub-varieties of 
Silesian beet have been raised, which are said to be superior to 
the original Silesian beet, which has broad luxuriant leaves, with 
erect light green-coloured petioles, and is apt to giow too much 
out of the ground. 
The Silesian beet generally cultivated at the present time has 
more pendant leaves, and grows but little out of the ground, for 
which reason it is preferred to the original root. 
As already stated, the white Silesian beet is the kind most 
approved on the Continent, for its sugar-producing qualities. 
Good sugar-beets possess the following characters: — 
1. They have a regular pear-shaped form, and smooth skin. 
Carrot-like long tapering roots are considered inferior to pear- 
shaped Silesian beets. 
2. They do not throw out many fibrous-branched roots or 
forks. 
Forked roots are difficult to clean, and not so readily pulped 
as well-grown symmetrical pear-shaped roots. 
3. They have a white, firm, and dense flesh, and clean sugary 
taste. Such roots are readily reduced to a fine pulp by proper 
machinery. Soft and spongy thick-skinned roots are always more 
watery than beets of a uniformly firm, hard, and close texture. 
