— 12 — 
we obtained a yield of upwards of 16 tons to the acre, and could sell 
it at four dollars a ton. 
THE SUGAR IN THE CROP. 
We began taking samples for the determination of the sugar 
content, and also for other purposes, on September 2, and took them 
weekly from that date until the crop was harvested, October 14. 
The plot represents three well-marked soils ; the extreme west end 
representing a fine loam, the middle a clay soil, with some gravel, 
and the east end a gumbo. The fine earth, or soil material, ranges 
between 91 and 95 percent. It bakes badly, and the air-dried lumps 
require the use of a pestle to break them. 
The varieties of beets planted were the Kleinwanzlebener, Vil- 
morin, Lion Brand, Lane’s Imperial, and the Imperial — four rows 
each. We always took three samples of each variety, corresponding 
to the different kinds of soil. As a control, and for the sake of com- 
parison, one sample each of the Kleinwanzlebener and Vilmorin was 
taken from the plots of the Farm Department. 
Our object was to observe the time when the sugar is formed in 
the beet most rapidly ; to study, in other words, the effect of the de- 
gree of maturity upon the sugar content, and to determine, if possi- 
ble, what the effect of our bad soil conditions were upon both the 
formation and the amount of the sugar. 
The soil is rich in potash and soda, with an ample supply of 
lime and a fair amount of phosphoric acid, but it is rather poor in 
nitrogen. 
The sugar in this series of determinations was determined by 
means of Fehling’s solution, and the percentages represent the total 
sugar. I have made no distinction between sucrose and the other 
sugars. 
The numbers in the table represent the different soil conditions 
in our plot : Number one, for instance, always being taken along a 
line near the west end of the plot ; number two along one across the 
middle, and number three near the east end. The stand in this, the 
east end, was very bad, and we could not adhere so strictly to a given 
line as at the other two points. 
It must be acknowledged that the weekly average for the sugar 
content has but little value, still I have introduced it that a general 
view of the rate of increase may be more easily obtained. 
