On the Chemistrij of Silesian ^Su gar- Beets. 
359 
* I have placed the preceding? analyses together because the 
variations in the composition of the several beets are but incon- 
siderable, and these analyses may be taken as fairly representing 
the composition of English sugar-beets of good sugar-producing 
<jualities. 
In the next Table the composition of similar roots is given, 
in conjunction with that of beets containing a high percentage 
of sugar (See Table 11., following page). 
The beets Nos. 10, 11, and 12, it will be noticed, yielded on 
an average a little over 12^ per cent, of crystallizable sugar, and 
the remaining ones, with the exception of No. 9, rather more than 
11 per cent. 
As might have been expected, the roots with a high percentage 
of sugar contained less water than those poor in sugar. The 
relations between the percentage of water and sugar, however, 
are not exactly the same in the different roots, and the amouni 
of water in a beet-root cannot therefore be regarded as indicating 
exactly the percentage of sugar which it contains. 
Thus, if we compare No. 13 with No. 15, we find that the 
former, which contained a little more water than the latter, 
nevertheless yielded about \ per cent, more crystallizable sugar, 
whilst No. 9, containing the same percentage of water as No. 13, 
in round numbers yielded 2 per cent, less sugar than the latter. 
It is, therefore, true only in a general way that the percentage of 
water affords an indication of the sugai- producing qualities of roots. 
A glance at the preceding analyses will show that the specific 
gravity of the expressed beet-root juice may be regarded as a good 
general indication of the sugar-producing qualities of beet-roots. 
The roots marked No. 10 and No. 12 are very rich in 
sugar, and the specific gravity of their juice, as will be seen, 
is also higher than that of the juice of the other beets. Whenever 
the specific gravity of the juice of beet rises above ] '07, the roots 
may be considered very superior, and to yield a high per-centage 
of sugar ; whilst a low specific gravity of the juice invariably 
characterizes roots of low sugar-yielding qualities. In the next 
Table (III.) I have placed side by side the composition of some 
sugar-beets of a lower specific gravity than fair average sugar- 
producing qualities. 
In every instance the beets with a low percentage of sugar 
yielded a juice of low specific gravity. Thus, the juice of beet, 
No. 19, yielding 6 per cent, of sugar in round numbers, had a 
specific gravity of 1-0469, and that of No. 22, containing only 
5 per cent, of sugar, a gravity of only 1-0457. 
On throwing a glance at Table 111., it will also be observed that 
the juice of comparatively small beets has not invariably a higher 
specific gravity than that of larger roots. Within certain limits 
VOL. V. — S.S. 2 B 
