Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-10-22
Misfella1eoias.
Sugar Beets In ArOOstOOk.

have been invited to prepare and read
a paper upon this subject, but prefer to
talk more directly to you, and you will,
perhaps. listen more attentively than you
would to the reading of paper.
The sugar beet, is the product of high
culture. 1t will not thrive where it has
to fight for its existence with the weeds.
nor where the soil is too poor. II needs
thorough deep ploughing, and then will
yield rich returns. In many places in the
old country, one third the tllage is given
to this crop and the remaining two-thirds
to all the other crops When properly
grown. it draws its food from the sub soil
deep down below the reach of the roots
OF any other crop save clover. While
thus yielding good return, it also pre-
pares the land for better crop Of anoth-
er kind the following year. The leaves
are valuable as food for cattle, and in
many cases are worth more than the
amount of hay annually grown on the
same plat The pulp, or residue left in
the manufacture. when mixed with hay
makes both more valuable, as this food as
Stimulates readily with other. Mixed with
straw now thrown away or used as bed
ding. they become as good as hay. Nea.
cattle always like it, and it can be had at
the factory at the bare cost of remov-
ing it, say fifty cents per ton. Farmers do
| not appreciate its value. as when offered
it for hve hundred and fifty last spring.
| only two desired to have il.
Here in Aroostook county the farmers
have done much better than had reason
| to expect, considering the lateness of the
time of planting and the severe drought
| which Immediately followed, and might
a q IN Al
| analysis shows that the crop is richer in
sugar than any other beets grown In this
State. can afford to pay you the price
agreed upon last spring, and If you will
| guarantee me five hundred acres annual
lv, Twill build sugar house in your midst,
| and then can afford to pay you fifty per
cent more, or four and half dollars per
ton. ! feel proud Of your success in grow
| ing this crop, because If should take out
what have grown here, in and about
Pressure Isle, there would be migty little
| left.
There is no danger of the markets being
overstocked, as a million dollars worth can
be sold in an hour if within reach of the
| telegraph. Indeed, sugar and beets are
the only two things which are not pro-
duced in excess at somc times.
Raising beets will afford more fodder,
hence you can and will keep more cattle,
| you will build better barns and have more
manure for your land. Seeing what good
returns you get from clean cultivation of
beets. You will be induced to carry this
method into your cultivation of other
crops. You little understand and appre-
ciate the value of the pulp that comes from
the beets, but once fed to your stock, YOU
will be very likely to get all you can.
Beets on new land are richer in sugar
| than those raised on old fields. see no
| reason why you cannot raise beets on your
| new land. as you now do potatoes or tur.
| nips. But undoubtedly the best returns to
the farmers will come from fields that have
been well manured and thoroughly cult
| waited. Wherever in the world beets are
| raised. there you will find the land in the
highest state OF cultivation. What we
have to contend with this year is poor cul-
| tivation of the crop, but whenever fields
| have grown up to weeds and grass, some
beets have struggled up through to up
braid the farmer for his neglect.
We are paying yearly one hundred mil
lions of dollars for sugar. Can't we get
some of this vast sum Raise beets, and
we will make sugar and so have our share
of the money. Whenever the raising of
beets has been commenced. it has never
been abandoned but the farmers have got
rich.
In Presque Isle we started our opera
tions six weeks too late, vet the farmers
| took hold with energy. and to them is due
the credit of being the pioneers in this
| business that is to prove of inestimable
| benefit to the State. The season has been
! unfavorable. II was too hot and dry in
Il a of T,txy 1
| weeds have struggled for the mastery, but
think in some instances the weeds have
got the best of it.
beets here upon our own account to show
our faith bv our works and to encourage
others. We haved hired our land, hired
our labor, bought our manure, In fact
everything has cost US the cash. neverthe-
less we shall make money out of our ven.
ture. Now if we. with hired land, labor
and everything done costing US ready
money. can make a profit. how much better
you can do with none of these expenses.
What are the facts that we can present
here to-day? George A. Parsons. Of
Maysvile. a careful and intelligent farm
er, submits the following figures relating
to his crop of this season:
Flowing three acres twice SO per ace. 80
Narrowing and cleaning the ground, 225
| Marking into rows, 60
| Planting, one and a half days, 50
Thinning, twelve days by boys at IS cents, 9
Wedding by hand, six days at rs cents, $50
Horse hoeiug, two days,
Seed, thirty-six pounds at 20 cents, 720
| Manure, thirty loads at 81, So
Harvesting three acres at Sl2 per acre, SO
Total cost, sllO o5
The crop of twenty tons to the acre sells
for So per ton or $3.50
Leaving margin of 500 95
Or nearly twenty y-fve dollars per acre clean
profit This, it would seem, ought to be quite
| satisfactory for first trial.
There was no hand labor used-all done
by horse power and machinery. Mr.. Par
sons saws, that having had the experience
of this year, he can do better next year.
We propose to pay next year "a 80 per
ton tor beets and also give you the pulp.
worth at the very least calculation, 81 90
more per ton, this giving you @6 so but
we shall only do this to those who con-
Concluded on fourth pssNl