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• hut this is confined to the roots, as the ratio of the weight of the 
leaves to that of the roots is only about one half as high in the stock 
beets as in the sugar beets ; so that the actual weight of the leaves 
in the two cases is about the same. Still it appears from the anal- 
yses that the stock beets would remove more soda salts from the soil 
than the sugar beets, crop for crop, but not ton for ton. The per- 
centages of dry matter and sugar show what the relative feeding 
value of the crops would be. It appears, considering all things, that 
the Lane’s Imperial was the best variety for my purpose, and prob- 
ably would be for feeding purposes, but this discussion lies beyond 
the scope and purpose of this bulletin. 
SUMMARY. 
The object of this bulletin is to present the results of my study 
of the effect of alkali upon the composition of the sugar beet, and to 
contribute to our knowledge of the chemistry of this plant. 
The beet seed will germinate freely in soil containing as much 
as 0.10 per cent, of sodic carbonate, but the young plants are at- 
tacked by as much as 0.05 per cent., and it is doubtful whether any 
of them can survive when there is as much as 0.10 per cent, of this 
salt present in the soil. 
Sodic sulphate affects the germination to a much less degree, 
even when it is equal to 0.80 per cent, of the air- dried soil, but it is 
injurious when present in larger quantities. When both salts, sodic 
carbonate and sodic sulphate, are present in equal quantities, the 
action of the carbonate, or black alkali, is only slightly, or not at all, 
mitigated. 
Magnesic sulphate retards, but does not prevent, germination 
when present in quantities equal to 1 per cent, of the air-dried 
soil. 
Sodic salts hasten germination by from 36 to 48 hours. 
The effect of the alkali, present in our soil, upon the sugar con- 
tent of the beet is, of itself, not detrimental. The maturing, or 
ripening, of the crop corresponds to an increase of from 2 to 3.5 
per cent, of sugar in the beet, and about one third of the total 
yield of sugar. 
Beets may remain unharvested, under favorable conditions, 
without loss of sugar or weight of crop. In our case, there was a 
slight gain between October 6, 1897, and January 8, 1898. 
The difference in the average percentage of sugar in the thirds 
of beets, taken by weight and numbering from the top, is less than 
0.20 per cent, in favor of the second and third thirds, while the aver- 
age co-efficient of purity is quite the same for the respective thirds. 
