Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-12-21
Farm anO houstbolO.
he Sugar Beet.

In = recent issue We referred 10 The
tact that another costly attempt 10 man
ufacturc sugar from the beet in Illinois
had proved failure However desiIpns
therefore business men and capitalists
NAV be to engage in the same business
nearer home, and however promising il
NAV be to the agriculturist, it neverthe-
les, seems wise TO profit by this exam
pie. Anxious as We arc 10 promote in
every way the success of so great an in
dustry, we still feel that great caution
should be used in all preliminary move
ments.
Especially is this the case when adj
monitorv reverses in the same branch
of agriculture are reported in foreign
lands. France has been the foremost in
inviting science and capital in the man
ufaeturc OF. beet sugar, and until the
present year has achieved great success.
Frem recent returns, however-since
the late haryest-we learn that the tide
has turned and that this enterprise thus
far so fourishing, has received a severe
check. Compared with the same time
last year, only a little more than one
fifth of the quanty of beet juice used at
the factories then, had been used the
present season, and its average density
was ten per cent. lower. The amount
of sugar manufactured, was less than a
fourth Of the product of last year, and il
is stated that there has been steady
decline for several years in the sugar
producing quantity of the beet Juice. As
necessary result from this unfortunate
state of things, the four hundred and
thirty-eight factories which were in
operation last year, have been reduced
to one hundred and eighty. In the ab-
seuce OF any definite explanation of this
sudden change, we are left to conjecture
and can only conclude that the soil has
been gradually deprived OF what may be
termed It's sscciIarine elements, without
corresponding renewal and therefore
suffers simply from exhaustion. We
cannot doubt that the good sense of the
agrlculturists OF France, combined with
the remarkable skill OF her men of SCI
ence. will devise some method OF cult
walton, or the application of some new
fertilizer, by which the former suprems-
cyofthe country in the production OF
beet sugar will be restored.
We do not doubt, as has been sug-
gested, tina, an experiment in this branch
OF manufacture might fail from a wrong
selection of beet varieties, or from rails
ing on rich soil crop OF overgrown
roots, or from exposure 10 the frost of
winter II is not probable that the TAIL
ure abroad is to be attributed to any
such causes involving as they would the
ignorance and inexperience of both pro
ducer and manufacturer.
Believing that the time has not vet
come for undertaking this enterprise in
our state, we still are in favor OF taking
such steps as shall prepare the way for
'sis eakintroduction. Tine sugar beet
Is valuable root for family use and for
stock feeding, and its general cultivation
should be recommended. We have to
suggest that experiments be tried with
the several well established varieties in
different parts Of our state in order that
by the tests of table use and animal fat
tening and chemical analysis it may be
decided whether our soil is adapted 20
the successful growth Of the right varie-
ty. BY so doing every farmer or gar
dener who tiles the experiment of rails
ing the sugar beet NAV be assured thai
either he is aiding in solving the prob
lem Of sugar production from such
source in his own state, or he has on the
whole selected the best root for domes-
tic use and stock feeding Portland
Press.