V 
4 
It may be interesting- to mention a few facts as 
an historical parallel. It was quite in the beginning of 
the century when a start was made in increasing the saccharine 
matter by selecting processes, and about the year 1850 a ton of 
Sugar Beet roots would yield rather more than a cwt. of 
saccharine matter; in the ’fifties a ton was got to produce 
cwt.; in the ’sixties and ’seventies nearly 2 cwt.; in the 
’eighties and ’nineties 25 cwt. Until 1850 the selection of stock 
roots, or as we call them “ mother roots,” was made according 
to form only, but in the ’fifties a step forward was taken by 
inaugurating a system of testing the specific gravity of the flesh, 
and a little later of the expressed juice also. In 1862 the polari- 
scope was tried for the determination of sugar value, and since 
1866 this instrument has been everywhere recognised for the 
purpose. Concurrently with this increase of sugar, experiments 
have been made for the purpose of increasing the productiveness 
as a root crop with most satisfactory results. 
The Sugar content of the root has been increased from 5 per 
cent, to a possible 20 per cent., but it has taken a century to effect 
this. If the process we have inaugurated, and now introduce 
to the public on the opening of the New Century, is instrumental 
in showing at its close that the food-producing power of roots 
has increased in a like manner four-fold, we shall not have 
initiated it in vain, although our successors, and not we, 
ourselves, will live to see it. 
We have placed these particulars on record as being in 
themselves interesting, and as affording an historical parallel, 
which proves that we have raised no chimerical question, but 
one which must ultimately result in enormous benefit to the 
agriculturist. 
The great variation in the quantity of water in feeding 
roots is almost equalled by the variation in the saccharine 
matter in the solids, as will be seen when we mention the fact 
that we have proved reputed stocks of Mangel to differ from 3 
per cent, to 7 per cent., while extreme cases have been proved 
to show a still wider variation. Other roots in a like ratio. 
It will be observed that we have included in our 
project not only Mang-els, Swedes, and Turnips, but 
also Kohl Rabi and Carrots, both of which are important 
crops to the farmer. It is true that occasionally we hear of a 
particular variety of Mangel being recommended because of 
its sugar product, and as it is allied to Beet, it is probably 
assumed — without any adequate tests, or, indeed, any tests at 
all being made to substantiate the supposition — that it has a 
disposition to produce sugar, which indeed it has ; but we 
have proved that the same property exists in all the crops we 
are now bringing under our surv'ey, and it can be consequently 
increased. Until we took the matter up we believe that no 
attempt had been made to increase the extent of such nutritive 
properties in these roots, but they were left to nature’s concourse 
of circumstances to improve or depreciate their value in this 
respect without let or hindrance. Where would the Sugar Beet 
industry on the Continent be at the present moment if this 
laissez faire principle had been left operative by those Sugar 
Beet growers, who have now for generations been vigorously 
prosecuting their improvements in Beets on the same scientific 
principles as we are advocating now for all the roots which are 
grown for the food of live stock ? 
Both Carrots and Kohl Rabi, if improved, are 
destined to get into more general favour. The 
former will frequently yield enormous crops olf land not 
manured, where other root crops would starve, its downward 
growth penetrating and reaching compounds in the subsoil not 
accessible to Mangels, Swedes, and Turnips, and hence the great 
value we set upon Carrots as an alternative field crop for live 
stock. Kohl Rabi also is destined to become a more general 
favourite, owing to its hardiness and nutritive qualities, indeed 
it succeeds sometimes where even Swedes would fail. Its 
leaves, upon analysis, prove to be of higher feeding value than 
those of Turnips, are very much relished by stock, and in the 
case of milch cows do not impart the disagreeable flavour 
to butter. Therefore, recognising the value of these two crops, 
although they are at the present moment only used to a limited 
degree, we have included them in the enterprise we have in 
hand. 
SPECIFIC GRAVITY. 
As already stated, the solids contain the only nutritive 
property in the root, and of these substances the saccharine 
matter is of the first importance ; the remaining compounds of 
the solids can, however, be valued by a test which we have 
applied, and can be fixed in the main, either as an indigestible 
fibrous element or as, more or less, soluble compounds. This 
is brought out under the application of our combined 
method of analysis, including special tests for deter- 
mining the specific gravity, not only of the root as a 
whole, but also of the juice. 
The hardiness and keeping quality of the roots are 
so closely associated with the specific gravity that 
we ask our readers special attention to our remarks 
under this head. 
Apart altogether from roots, we may say that among the arts 
for determining the relative value of different substances, that 
of fixing their specific gravity is one of the most useful, and it has 
been recognised as such by the most eminent of scientists. The 
higher the specific gravity, the better the feeding value, is a good 
general maxim. A man instinctively, but only approximately 
forms his opinion of the specific gravity of a root, or rather he 
judges of the value of the root by its specific gravity, when he 
takes a heavy solid root in his hand and considers it superior to 
one of a larger size, but albeit watery, fibrous, and light ; and we 
believe that the value of a process which fixes the specific 
gravity with mathematical exactitude will be readily seen 
and its importance conceded. The specific gravity, moreover, 
provides an index to the keeping quality of the root. The 
quantity of water and air cells is a determining factor in this 
matter, and it is their presence in a root which constitutes a 
disturbing cause, for in them lies the potentiality which may give 
rise to decay and decomposition. The greater the proportion of 
these, the greater the certainty of early falling away, decay, and 
disease. A high density therefore indicates a smaller proportion 
of these irritant causes, and stamps the root with the character 
of a “ long keeper.” 
CARTERS’, 237, 238, & 97, HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON.— 1901. 
