352 
On the Chemistry of Silesian Sugar-Beets. 
although the roots grow to a large size and yield well after 
clover-seeds, they remain poor in sugar and take up too much 
saline matter from the decomposing vegetable remains of the 
preceding crop. 
Beets are usually followed on the continent by spring wheat. 
On land peculiarly well suited for roots, two or three crops of 
beet are sometimes taken in succession. In this case, however, 
it is necessary to apply farmyard manure, or artificials, to the 
second and third crops. 
Manures for Beets. — Next to the soil, manure has a powerful 
influence on the quality of sugar-beets. 
If possible, beets should not be grown in newly manured soils. 
In heavily and newly manured land the roots become poor in 
sugar and overcharged with saline matters. The presence of 
this excess of saline matters in the juice of beets is much dreaded 
by the manufacturer of beet-root sugar, inasmuch as they prevent 
largely the extraction of the sugar in a crystallizable state. 
In beet-growing districts the manufacturers of sugar, therefore, 
protect their interest by stipulating in their contracts that the 
beets supplied by the grower have not been dunged. 
If the soil, however, is very poor, it is impossible to grow 
anything like a crop without manure ; in that case farmyard 
manure must be applied to the land in autumn, or 3 or 4 cwts. 
of guano, or a mixture of guano, bone-dust, and superphosphate 
and sulphate of potash. Peruvian guano has been used with 
advantage for beets on naturally poor soils, and when used in 
moderate quantities in autumn it greatly benefits this crop. 
Sulphate of ammonia is also used on such land with con- 
siderable advantage for beets. Like guano it should be applied 
to the land in autumn, and sparingly. 
Ammoniacal salts, guano, rotten dung, and in general all nitro- 
genous manures, require to be used with discrimination, for their 
tendency is to encourage the luxuriant growth of tops, and to 
diminish the percentage of sugar in the roots. A certain amount 
of available nitrogen in the soil appears to be necessary for the 
healthy growth of the sugar-beet, and hence the use of guano, or 
sulphate of ammonia, or animal manures cannot properly be 
condemned unconditionally, for, as just stated, these manures are 
beneficial to beets when the soil on which they are intended to 
be grown is either naturally very poor, or out of condition by 
repeated cropping. On the other hand, nitrogenous manures, such 
as guano, sulphate of ammonia, or rotten dung, should not be 
applied to beets when^ the land is in good heart. Soils in good 
agricultural condition always contain a sufficient amount of 
available nitrogen to meet the requirements of that root crop, and 
an extra supply of nitrogenous organic matter or ready formed 
