Beet

Beta vulgar is. Thick-rooted herb of the natural family Chenopod i aceæ, native of the Old World; supposed to have been derived by cultivation from B. maritima, a common European seaside plant. Raised in field culture as food for stock and for making sugar. They should be planted in driils, two and a half feet apart, in deep rich friable soil that has not received stable manure within a year, as early in spring as the land can be brought in good tilth. They are usually sown much too iate. Culture must be clean and frequent throughout the season. Sugar beets should be planted thickly, so as not to reach a weight of more than 2 or 3 lbs. Many varieties of both sugar beets and mangels are grown. The latter are used exclusively for stock feeding. It has been proven experimentally that sugar beets, containing enough sugar for profitable manufacture, can be grown throughout a very large portion of the n. U. S., and several factories have been in succe ful operation for some years; but the expensive machinery required and the high price of labor in cultivation have hitherto operated against the rapid spread of raising beets for sugar. IMG:content-0474.png:[graphic] Common Beet. ure of beer, from the malt is produced the alcohol, dextrine, sugar, and other extractive matters and the carbonic acid which renders the beer effervescing; and the hops clarify the beer by precipitating the albuminous substances by means of the tannic acid they contain, and also increase the durability; they give the bitter flavor and have a tonic and stimulating effect upon the consumer. The strength of beers is as follows: IMG:content-0475.png:[blocks in formation] An analysis of American lager gave the following composition: alcohol 4.25, solids 5.75, and water 90. The solids consisted of malt sugar 1.42, dextrine 2.68, albuminoids 0.60, lactic acid 0.15, phosphoric acid 0.09, and ash 0.30. All beers should be made from barley malt and hops, but when not prevented by law, other substances are substituted for the purpose of reducing the cost. Other malted or unmalted grains, starch and glucose may be used in place of barley malt, and it is claimed that other bitter substances are used instead of hops. In the U. S. bicarbonate of soda is generally added to the beer in kegs, to render the beer alkaline and to increase effervescence; and salicylic acid is added sometimes to bottled beer to increase its endurance.