The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-26
THE sUGAR-BEET EXPERIMENT,

maritime borders.
THE sUGAR-BEET EXPERIMENT.
An experiment in growing the sugar
beet and converting it into sugar is now
in the second year of its operation in
Maine, with results not wholly satisfac-
tory to its projectors, and yet not alto
gether discouraging. The beet appears
to thrive successfully, and its conversion
into sugar has been accomplished with.
out impediment Some difficulty ap
pears to have been experienced in secur.
ing the beets in quantities sufficiently
large to suit the company. 1t was as
sumed when the project was first put on
foot that of these as many as forty tons
per acre could be readily raised, and on
this assumption farmers readily con.
tracted them to the manufacturers at "a
per ton.
In fact, however, it was found that
the average quantity raised was only
about 81 tons to the acre, although as
many as 3S and as few as 2 tons were
actually raised. The price, in view Of
the Unexpectedly low average, was this
year raised to IS rs per ton, but even
at this only some 1900 acres were con.
tracted for. The company will have
about 10000 tons to work, and will make
from this produce 1000 tons of sugar
and molasses. The establishment, which
was erected at cost of about $150,0O0
works $50 hands, and has capacity fol
working up an average of 130 tons pei
day. Sugar ranges about 8 cents pei
pound at the factory, and the company
doubt their ability to pay the current
price for beets unless market shall be
found for the pulp of the beet after it'
saccharine has been extracted.
This, together with the lime used in
desiccating, finds ready and rapid sale
at the sugar factories in Europe, the
pulp as food for cattle and the lime a
a fertilizer. In time, if these expert
ments shall continue, they will doubtless
be here.
A late Chicago paper contains som.
details of the attempts made few year,
since in Illinois to manufacture bee
sugar, which experiment, it appears, re
suited disastrously. A large tract o
land was purchased at Chatworth
where an extensive factory was erected
at cost, including the experiment.
that followed, of some $25O,0OO. A
couple of experienced French sugar man
ufacturers were employed, who had con
Quoted the business in France, ant
neither money nor energy were spare(
to make the undertaking a success, bu
it failed. sinking quarter of million
of dollars in the attempt. The faul
however here, as is alleged, consisted
rather in the beet than in anything else
The root which grows in the ricl
prairie soils of Illinois to large siz
,. seems to develop too great succulenc
and fleshiness of fibre, but without tn
saccharinc that is the essential for sugar
making. There is moreover, an alkal:n
quality found mingled with its extracte
juice that is detrimental to its conversio
: to sugar, the smaller bects grown in
: calcareous or comparatively sterile so
.. yielding largely more and better sugal
making extract. This popularity ha
been heretofore noted in the juices of tn
sorghum sugar-c me which never yields a
: excellent results when grown on Ian
: when there is a superabundance of tn
remains of vegetable decomposition, a
for instance in the rich alluvium Of tn
West and Southwestern streams.
1t took 80 years and the fostering car
of Napoleon the First to place the bee
!. sugar experiment on satisfactory pay
ing basis in France, but it is now one Q
the great industries of that country, an
is assuming large proportions in Belgiur
, and Germany. We therefore see no res
! son why the enterprise that has been Sc
: on foot in Maine should be abar
doned at least until impediments create
than a too limited supply of beets O
! failure to make sufficiently prompt dis
5 posal of the refuse pulps and residuar
lime shall have been solved by the enter
! prising projectors. The result shows a
b least that the beet can be grown i
Maine that readily produces sugar, an
= the methods for such conversion are n
= longer mystery; as for the rest, p'
. tience-Rome was not built in day,
Editorial Spinnings.
. Gala liza ,ea,- 4ia u ata,.