Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-03-09
Farm ann tonssboID.
Bee: ao': Sugar.

Abstract ola paper prepared for the Feb, session
~ Maine Board of Agriculture at brunswick, by
Gee t. BtacketL member from Belfast
Tne prominence given to the subject OF
be-; sugar. in the inaugural address OF
GOV Conner, and his recommendations
and suggestions iu regard to the feasibility
all 4ayj,Abt.i;y OF the culture Of the bee;
in Maine for the manufacture OF sugar. j.
my excuse for calling attention to the mat
ter. ana while l avn not ye' prepared to
fully agree with him in so heartily recon-
mrndiag this comparatively new industry
To tAc farmers and citizens Of Maine. yet |
woI.I uof be one OF those factions spirits
Wac oppose q movement or project simply
because it /, ucw. No doubt the Governor
had al the data before hun deductions
f-an which warranted him I'd hi~ recon-
meAa4tion,.
II i undoubtedly a fac. that the beet SUI
gar industry j. an important ono in the OLD
countries although yet IN IL infancy in the
L. :. and being such we cannot afford to
iguore or overlook it in our agricultural
economy. II the State OF Maine is specially
adapted To beet cultivation and the manu-
fac.ure object sugar we deserve TO know
ii now or IS soon a may be and rice rers4
III either case discussion and ventilation @,
tie question will soon inform Us.
The advocates OF beet sugar manufacture
claim the advantages of its introduction
wolll be:-To insure superior methods Of
agriculture. increased crops. more remuu-
crative prices home markets and enhanced
value Of farms 1t would also tend TO
create industry, diversity labor, reduce the
price % sugar and bread and render u in
dependent Of foreign countries. Greatly to
be desired results are these grant. aud
such a towards the attainment OF which il
= our Douuden duty 10 strive.
The great sugar producing plants OF the
worla are. in their order. sugar.caue. the
b c1. the date-paim and the sugar-maple.
According - statistics ola few years ago.
winch ao doubt sill hold good in ratio, the
beet turn -aes nearly oue-quarJer OF the su
gar produced in tie world.
France and the German States are the |
gr,a. bee. sugar producing countrie, OF
the globe. their production bein. dearly if |
not quite equal 10 their consumption. There |
are over 4o01 beet sugar manufactures in |
Europe of which France has over COO. The |
German states aud Russia include the tuik |
OF the remainder.
several attempts to manufacture beet
sugar Oh = small scale have been attempted
III Tire United States, but II California b.
excepted, aud perhaps some trials in Hi
no.s. | am not aware that they have been
crowned with commercial success. al
though they have proved that the best quail
i:y Of sugar can be made from the beet. A.
long ago a. 1859 the Northampton Beet
; -ar Co." located in the rich to6acco
growing soil Of the Connecticut valley.
proved thus beyond a doubt But it was
not financial success. They manufactur-
ed sugar Of an excellent quality. 100 lbs. OF
beets producing seven pounds OF sugar and
three and one-half pounds Of molasses. In
1854 The "GeTmauia Sugar Co., :" commenc-
ed operations in Illinois bur do not learn
terprise permanent one. They cultivated
coo acres OF beets in one season which pro-
daeed from to 3 per cent. ofsugar.
The beet plant adapt> Itself very readily
to climate and circumstances although
first-class soil Is absolutely indispensable
to its successful cultivation. The deep rich.
arGenuferous soils OF California are no
doubt the best adapted to its production Of
an, ia this country, and. the black. greasy
prairie soils of tile Western States come
next. Whether the farmers of Maine can
compete with them except at large cost for
special fertilizers Is a question for consider
alton. That We can grow the beet TO per-
lection in our State i. fact proven BY re-
peated experiment. as also that large crops
can be obtained, and thus the question is
one Of comparative cost.
The variety of beet required for the man
ufacture of sugar is that which is richest
in sugar and contains the smallest percca-
tage OF alkaline salts. and the white Sile-
sian or white sugar is the kind in general |
cultivation. Colore1 beets are objection
able The special qualities desired and
which seem to be uaited in greater de-
gree 10 the white Silesian than any other !
variety, Area pear shape, no lateral :
roots. smooth white surface, white hard
flesh. aud must grow beneath the soil
They should not grow too large. five to
eight los. being most desirable. s
The average per centage OF sugar in the c
French beet is HIP and the American '
md German about IL. In France the aver t
..e per cent. of sugar extracted from the t
,eet by the machinery used is per cent. +
hough improved methods in many cases p
'roduce ] 1 per cent.
As to the cost of raising beets in Maine a
nv farmer on this Board can probably give
n intelligent answer. THE Department of
grjculture estimates they can be raised a
/ A cost to the manufacturer of s2.60 per 81
IN. This it is presumed refers to whole Ii
lie production under most favorable cir a
instances. The average price paid by pi
,ro.eau manufactures is 50 per ton. A al
pstern writer on the subject says the fac 81
ries there can be fully supplied at 81 per W
, loutside price, and western farmers w
ntract them at $3.50 perton. "a