The Portland daily press., 1878-05-18
auuar Industry i'm Maine.

The exertions which have been made In this
state during the last few months to introduce
this industry are followed up in a practical
form and in hundreds of places all over the
state beet planting is going on and will con.
tinue for the next two weeks. The Maine Beet
Sugar Company have contracted for the raising
of sugar beets all over the state, from Cumber.
land to Aroostook county, with hundreds oI
farmers 1t is therefore not saying too much
that the trial during the year 1873 will bs a
very extended and conclusive one, both in a
practical and scientific point of view. The
bulk of the beets which will be converted into
sugar this year are contracted for in Aroostook
county, around the town of Presque Isle.
The county of Aroostook, which is somewhat
larger than the whole state of Massachusetts
was considered out of reach and a wilderness,
but few years ago. but any man who under.
stands farming and who will take the trouble
to travel along the Aroostook river will find 10
his surprise that farms there look fully a.
thrifty as they do along the Kennebec and Saco
rivers.
Oar townsman, Geo. S. Hunt, Esq who is
President of the Maine Beet Sugar Company,
of this new industry in and around Portland.
No doubt there is any amount of good and
suitable land in the vicinity of Portland to
raise sufficient beets to keep number of sugar
factories employed. The number of idle manu-
featuring establishments invites occupation
and the many unemployed mechanics and
laboring men in this city will welcome any new
enterprise which promises work to them. Mr.
Hunt well understanding and appreciating
this, and being an expert sugar reiner besides,
more than anybody else, has worked early and
late to locate the first beet sugar factory 10
Portland. Not only the farmers who have con-
tracted with the Maine Beet Sugar Company
raise beets this year, but also innumerable
farmers too timid to go into it this year or who
have no prepared land for cultivation under
contract will raise small quantity of beets for
themselves in order to ascertain how much
work there will be in the cultivation and what
yield reasonably may be expected from the
same, ia order to be ready for contracts another
year. The Maine Beet Sugar Company have
placed in the hands of w. G. Sawyer & Co, %
Market Square, quantity of bset seed at cost
price to supply every farmer who wishes to try
for himself, and we would advise every enter
prisiDg man connected with farming to plant
and cultivate small patch, few square rods
even will do, to contribute his share to make
this experiment as complete as possible In
this way the whole state may be turned into
grand experimental station for a special pur-
pose. Thousands of farmers will contribute
their experience and final results, and 10 hav-
ing them properly and carefully compiled the
benefit to the farming community at large is
obvious. Mr.. Gennert, who has devoted him
self during II years to the introduction of the
beet sugar industry in America, has the prac-
tica, part of the work in hand. His experience
Of difficulties in former years will enable him
to steer clear OF them, and according to the
view he takes, the Maine Beet Sugar Company
has every element necessary to success COM
bined.
Many farmers have been afraid the cultiya.
ton of beets would entail too much hand labor
But Mr.. G. has constructed cultivator which
will do the work of cleaning one acre of beets
with one horse in about two hours, and there
will be no excuse therefore to see a struggle
going on on beet-felds between the crop and
weeds for fnal supremacy. The use Of this
cultivator once week, with little hand work
in addition will leave the land when the beets
have been harvested in condition to surprise
even our most Industrious farmers. 1t is not
necessary for every farmer who raises one acre
or less OF sugar beets to have and own one of
these cultivators alone. Three or four farmers
in neighborhood can get along with ole, but
as the regular cultivation not only destroys the
weeds, but also in mellowing the surface pre-
vents evaporation Of moisture during very hot
weather, the regular cultivation will more
thau pay by increa ing the iual crop We
draw the attention of our farmers to the fact
that it will be well to procure the implements
IoE proper CULTIVATION ID gOO1 time and the
time for cultivaring bset-felds is as soon as the
rows can be seen on the land Farmers who
wish to secure these cultivators should :inform
the Maine Beet Sugar Company at Portland
without delay.
Those of our farmers who have not already
planted small patch of sugar beets we woald
advise to do so without delay. The planting
may be done till the end Of May with fair
prospect of success, though early planting is
preferable, as the sugar beet can stand cold
considerably better than excessive heat. The
satisfaction will bs pleasant to every farmer
that he has contributed his mite to make the
beet sugar experiment., at present going on in
the state OF Maine, complete and successful.
For the benefit of those doubling that sugar
beets can be produced by our farmers with
profit we copy from the Scientific American of
April 3D., 1869, the following result of the expe-
rience of Is persons who made q trial in the
states of New jersey and Delaware: