The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-14

tivated are not grazing districts, in which
cattle are raised. Beets are pre- eminently
distinguished for tattening cattle and pro
ducing grain. Cows fed upon the leaves
and pulp produce more and better favored
ed butter and milk, so that the production
OF sugar from the beets adds to the supply
OF bread and meat, and thus the leading
necessities of mans existence stimulate and
aid each other.
| TIE VARIETIES OF SUGAR BEET-soIL -
| PLANTING, HARVESTING AND STORING
| THE CROP.
The varieties of the sugar beet most ex.
tensively used are the White Sugar OF
Silesian, the Imperial and the Quidlin-
burger. They penetrate the soil from to
IL inches, their greatest diameter is from
to 6 inches, the weight most desired from
Il to lbs. This latter is regulated to
some extent by knowledge of the soil, the
proper use ofmanures, and the distance from
plant to plant. Large beets are very poor
| in sugar. II the soil is cultivated to sui
hcient depth, the beet root will grow en-
tirely beneath the surface; but when the
ordinary cultivation is used, being unable
to attain its length below the surface, it
will extend above, where exposure to the
sun Injuries it, Soil suitable for wheat
which has been under cultivation, the
longer the BETTER that admits of deep
tillage, clean of stones, clayey, but not too
| stiff, is suited to the beet; also land that is
rich and sandy produces beets easy of pre-
servation and rich in sugar.
The usual mode of preparing is q good
coat of barn-yard manure, plowed in dur
| ing the fall, at the same time the ground is
| SUBSIDIZED; this loosens to the depth of 10
| to 16 inches. In the spring, one or two
light plowings, or 6 inches deep. The
| last time, just before planting, it is harrow
apart, and the seed drilled from to IL in
ches apart in the row, and II to 2 inches
deep. The seed is soaked about "a hours in
water,and rolled in plaster. Sometimes
other compounds are used, charcoal dust in
place ofpaster, or mixed with it, etc. The
| principal object of the last blowing and
| soaking of the seeds is to give the beets a
good start before the weeds, so as to save
labor in extirpating them.
AS soon as the beets are grown sufficient
| ly, the cultivator is used, worked about as
we do corn. The beets are weeded and
thinned to one plant to every 8 to 10 inches,
and where vacancies occur, they are filled
by transplanting when the beets are from
to z of an inch in diameter. Four or five
workings and one or two weddings, accord
ing to seasons and requirements of the
crops, completes the work until they are
ready for harvesting the time for which is
in September or October, and is known
usually by the under leaves becoming fab
by and turning yellow. The harvesting is
done by using mould board or gridiron
pillow to raise them. They are then topped,
placed in piles, and covered usually with
the leaves to protect them from the SUM-
Care must be taken so as not to work the
skins off the beets.. In two or three days
they are in condition for storing, which is
done in long pits or cellars. The pits are
made of any convenient depth or width, on
high dry ground. The chief object is to
protect the beets from frost, and keep them
in the dark also to be dry. These condi-
tions secured, they will lose but little till
spring.
The season for manufacturing common
ces as soon as the beets are ripe, usually in
September, and continues night and day un-
til March, if the beets can be had. This
one advantage is of sufficient Importance to
note, that in comparing it with cane, it is
about three times as long, therefore the
capital required for the beets is only about
one third as much to do the same amount
of business. The manufacturing is too in
tricate to describe here. The important
materials are cheap fuel, lime, good water
Bone black is used in large quantities for
filterng. This when used up for sugar
refining, is equal to the best bone for ma
nure.
The size of the factories in use in France
is from tons capacity ofsugar in "a hours
This would require about IL tons of pulp
for ton of sugar, or 60 tons of beets in "a
hours, the proceeds of about 60 acres, at 10
tons per acre. Some of the factories and
the land contiguous are owned by the same
parties, but in many cases the factory de-
ponds largely upon the neighboring farm
ers, with whom contracts are made for o
certain number of tons or acres of beets,
and also for the sale of the pulp in ex
change The cost of labor in the factories
is about one-half cent per pound of su.
gar.
The total cost, allowing interest on ev
erything, fproducing beet-sugar in France,
is 81 to cents per lib. This pays $3.50
per ton for beets, and ] cent per pound for
labor in the factory, and an average of 66
cents per hand per day.
From these data, is is fairly to be infer
red that beet sugar could be produced here
at cost not exceeding 6 cents per pound.
The present market value is from 8 to 10
cents per pound, according to grade.
The interested reader will naturally
wonder, ifthese things be true, how is it
that so little is known, or so little done in
this country, as a country so full fpublica-
tions devoted to science, agriculture, and in
deed to all subjects lending to improvement
or profit. The very fact of this absence is
against it, A careful investigation of the
circumstances will indicate, if not estab-
| lish, the sufficient reason. Previous to
| 1860, about one-third of the sugar consum-
ed was produced in Louisiana. Since the
war the consumption has largely increased,
and the Louisiana production has not yet
recovered from that disaster. 1t now pro-
duces only about one fourteenth. In the
same period, from 1860 to 1876, there have
been valuable improvements made, reduc-
ing the cost of producing the beet sugar.
These are some of the principal ones there
fore it will be a matter of great wonder, if
in few years we do not follow other ma
tons of the Temperate Zone, and adopt
Tue industry, now so "eh PeIIecteu W oui
hand. The experience Of Europe shows
that beets of rich quality can be prottably
cultivated in suitable soil, from the Medi-
terrauean to the North Sea, and from the
Atlantic to the heart of Russia. Moisture
favors the development of tht beet, and
drouth does not prevent its yielding good
products. The universal testimony of far
mers and sugar manufacturers is, that any
good wheat land is suitable for the sugar
beet root. The whole question turns on
first ascertaining, by actual test, the best
soil, located where cheap fuel, lime, good