— 22 — 
It is not claimed that this is an exact scientific compar- 
ison between early and late samples, tor in some cases the 
samples were taken from different parts of the field and in 
others they were quite different in size. The figures, how- 
ever, serve to illustrate forcibly the general truth that in 
the late days of its growth, the beet accumulates sugar 
rapidly and becomes of much purer quality. 
In the ripening of sugar beets, there is not only an in- 
crease of sugar and consequently a relative decrease of the 
impurities, but there is also an absolute decrease of impuri- 
ties. This is shown in the next to the last column of the 
following table, which is based on the results of about two 
hundred analyses of the Colorado beet crop of 1897. 
Beets ranging 
in per cent, oi 
Sugar from 
Water. 
Total Solids. 
1 
Insoluble 
Fiber. 
Sugar. 
Soluble 
Impurities. 
Per cent 
of Purity. 
8 to 11 
81.0 
19.0 
5.0 
9.9 
4.1 
'70.2 
11 to 12 
79.7 
20.3 
“ 
11.6 
3.7 
76.0 
12 to 13 
78.8 
21.2 
12.5 
3.7 
77.0 
13 to 14 
77.9 
22.1 
13.5 
3.6 
78. 8 
14 to 15 
77.1 
22.9 
14.4 
3.5 
80.9 
15 to 16 
76.1 
23.8 
15.4 
3.4 
82.0 
16 to 17 
75.4 
24.6 
16.5 
3.1 
84.1 
17 to 20 
73.8 
26.2 
18.2 
3.0 
85.8 
QUANTITY OF CROP. 
There seems almost no limit to the amount of sugar 
beets that can be grown on an acre of ground in Colorado. 
The soil of the State is wonderfully rich and the large 
amount of sunshine stimulates the growth of the crop won- 
derfully. The yields given, represent in most cases, estimates, 
based on the digging and weighing of rather small areas, 
and would need to be decreased considerably to represent 
whole fields. But even if shrunk one-half, which is far more 
than necessary, the yields are above those of any state that 
now has a beet sugar factory in operation. The writer vis- 
ited a great many beet fields during the fall of 1897 and was 
everywhere struck with the rank growth and general 
healthy, vigorous look of the crop. It is a common belief 
that it is not difficult to raise a large crop, but that a large 
crop always means one poor in sugar and purity. Such does 
not seem to be the case in (Colorado. Some of the largest 
yields have been accompanied by a high percentage of sugar 
and extra good purity. 
