On the Chemistry of Silesian ISugar-Beets. 
369 
during the first two months of its growth — the better the crop is 
likely to turn out if a dry autumn follows. 
A bright and dry August seems to do more for sugar-beets 
than almost any other condition, however favourable it may be 
to the healthy development of this crop. 
Sugar-beet culture therefore is not likely to succeed well in a 
great part of Ireland, nor in the south and south-western counties 
of England, nor in localities in which the late summer and 
autumnal months of the year are as a rule warm and wet. On 
the other hand, the eastern and northern counties, and even many 
districts in Scotland, as regards climate, unless I am greatly 
mistaken, appear to me decidedly favourable for the cultivation 
of sugar-beets. By way of experiment, Mr. Duncan had some 
Silesian sugar-beets grown in several places in Scotland, and the 
result of this experiment proved to be a great success as far as 
the quality of roots was concerned. 
The next tabular statement embodies the analytical results 
which I obtained in ascertaining the composition of these beets 
(See Table IX., following page.) 
These analyses present several points of interest. 
Looking at the three roots grown by Mr. Kennedy, in Ayr- 
shire, it will be noticed that the smallest root of the three, weigh- 
ing little more than 1 lb., contained much more water and was 
much poorer in sugar than the two other roots, each of which 
weighed over 3 lbs. The root marked No. 2 is indeed an 
excellent sugar-beet, for it is not only rich in crystallizable sugar, 
containing 12 per cent., but it likewise contains very small 
quantities of saline matter and nitrogenous compounds, which 
destroy the crystallizing power of sugar in the manufacturing 
processes. 
With the exception of No. 1, all the beets grown in Scotland 
in 1868 were of a good size ; some weighed nearly 3 lbs., and 
most 3 lbs. and more. 
Even these beets, which contained rather a high percentage 
of water, yielded in round numbers not less than 8^ per cent, 
of crystallizable sugar which may be taken as a very good 
average percentage. 
Altogether the beets grown in Scotland showed as high an 
average percentage as those raised in England, a smaller amount 
of nitrogenous and undesirable saline matter, and, on the whole, 
were more valuable to the manufacturer of beet-root sugar than 
the majority of the English roots. 
The roots grown in Norfolk, in Berkshire, and Buckingham- 
shire possess fair average sugar producing qualities ; but those 
grown in Devonshire are very watery, and scarcely so useful 
for general purposes as ordinary well- ripened mangolds (See 
Table X.). 
