Sut/ar-Bcets and Beetroot Distillation. 
G7 
These experiments arc interesting, as showing the prejudicial 
effect of the direct application of farmyard manure to sugar- 
beets, especially if the crop is sown as late as were the roots in 
the Glasnevin experiments. 
Without manure, it will be noticed the beets No. 1 yielded 
8"5G per cent, of sugar ; with a moderate dressing of farmyard- 
manure, Lot 2 produced 7 87 per cent. ; and Lot 3, with a full 
dressing of farmyard manure, 6 73 per cent, of sugar. 
The Glasnevin experiments did not give very encouraging 
results, but it must not be inferred from this that the climate of 
Ireland is not suitable for sugar-beets, for in similar experiments 
made at Glasnevin in 1870, beetroots were obtained, which were 
much richer in sugar than those grown in the previous season. 
The comparative poverty of the Glasnevin beets in sugar in 1869 
appears to have been mainly due to late sowing and to the 
application of farmyard manure to two of the lots, in consequence 
of which the roots did not get fully ripe. 
The Hon. Agar Ellis, who takes a great interest in all matters 
likely to affect the material welfare of Ireland, instituted, both 
in 1869 and in 1870, experiments on the growth of beetroots, 
with a view of ascertaining whether the climate of Ireland is 
suitable for producing roots sufficiently rich in sugar to be used 
for the manufacture of sugar. 
A number of sugar-beets, grown mostly in the county of Kil- 
kenny, were sent to me for examination by Mr. Agar Ellis. 
Their composition is given in the Table overleaf: — 
The beets, No. 1, were grown on poor light soil after a crop 
of ley-oats the previous year, with about 30 tons of farmyard 
manure and 6 cwts. of Lawes's superphosphate per Irish acre. 
The weight of sugar-beets upon 1 square perch without tops was 
3 cwts. 
The beets marked No. 2 were grown at Woodstock Farm, 
county Kilkenny, and No. 2 at Woodstock Garden. The seed, 
supplied by the Hon. Agar Ellis, M.P., was sown about the 
middle of April in garden ground, trenched 4 feet deep 2 years 
before. The ground stands at about 400 feet altitude. No 
manure was used, except a sprinkling of charred earth, which 
was put on the ground previous to the seed being sown. The 
ground was kept clean and a little earth was forked up to the 
roots in July. The plants stood in the line from 3 to 6 inches 
from each other. The weight of the crops per imperial acre, 
taking the average weight of a yard, would be about 50 tons. 
No. 3. Grown by Mr. Thomas Seigne, Kilfane Farm, Kil- 
kenny. 
No. 4. Grown by Viscount Clifden, at the gardens, Gowran 
Castle, 200 feet above the sea-level. The seed was sown on 
F 2 
