The daily gazette., 1879-03-01
The Sugar Beet.
LECTURE LAST EVENING BY ERNEST
TIL. GENNERT OF MAINE

LECTURE LAST EVENING BY ERNEST
| TIL. GENNEkT OF MAINE.
Last evening, Mr.. Ernest Tn. Gennert
Snperintendentof of the Maine Sugar Beet
Mandatory, delivered an address on
the sugar beet before few gentlemen in
the new lecture room ofthe Grand Opera
House. Mr.. Lewis Thompson was called
to the chair, ard Mr.. A. ID. Warner acted
as Secretary.
This speaker was introduced by Mr..
dress by reviewing the condition of the
countries in Europe, where the sugar
beet was raised, what vast amount of
revenue that the countries had accrued
from the mandatory of sugar, and also
the large results that had been gained by
the farmer and he hoped to see the day
when the same results would take place
in this country. If we look at the mat
ter, and draw line, we find that one
half Of our population are producers of
raw material, and the other half are the
mechanical producers from tie raw ma
terial. If we look at the matter in its
proper light, we find that for some time
| back farming has not paid and therefore
the farmer has been compelled to leave
his farm und go to the city IN search of
employment, and hence you see the re-
suits in the crowded conditions of your
cities. If farmer finds that his land
will not produce paying crops why he
and his smart boys give up toiling on the
farm and seek the cities, and the boy
who is not as smart as the rest is left TO
toll upon the land for no reconpenses.-
Now in my opinion If the sugar beet was
only introduced in this country and cul-
tivated to the same extent as in Europe
the farmers land would not only be en-
riched, but 1t would be- remunerative.
In 1915 we find the same state of affairs
as we find to-day, that Is one out Of
every four pers ons employed, and il you
look back for thousand years, to any
great nation, you will find that it arose
to its greatness as the fertility of the soil
improved, and went down, as the ferti-
lity Of the soil went down. Spain at one
time raised so bushels of wheat to the
acre and was one ofthe greatest nations
oil the earth, but when the fertility of
the soil went down, so did Spain, until
you see what that country IL to-day.
In 1880 beet sugar made its first appear
ancs to any ex,ent, butyt had existed
years before, in fact first appeared in
1149.
InlS30scientlfic mec took hold Of the mat
ter and about that year the first factories
were erected. At first the factories clus-
tered around the cities, ,abd there was not
one at that time established in the rural
districts, away from city influences.
At that time France used Oh an aver
age 5pounds of sugar to each person, and
Germany 81 pounds, but in this country
it required about 40 pounds for each per-
son tor the last Sixty years. Now II we
calculate what 1t costs for this large
amoHnt of sugar, we find that this coun-
try has expended in round numbers
about one hundred millions of do liars an
nuaily foe sugar, and counting this up
for ten years we find that there has been
a thousand millions of dollars in gold
shipped ont of this country. Look what
vast amount of influence that money
would have in this country, and it could
be kept here if the sugar beet was culti-
vated to the same extent as IN Europe.
Ia 1880 all governments in Europe es-
tablished beet sugar factories, and the
governments in that one year did more
for the sugar beet than the whole United
States has ever done for the farmer
When beet sugar was first made III Eu-
rope no one was aware of the great
amount of influence it would have, but
it has grown to such an extent that to-
day one half OF all the sugar in the world
is beet sugar. f this Is the case how
long will IT be before cane sugar will ell
treiy disappear?
When we see all Europe progressing
in the cultivation of the sugar beet, is tue
United States going to do nothing? de
had heard that the State had taken hold
of the matter in quiet way, and that
the Legislature had appropriated sum
of money to encourage the cultivation of
the beet 1t was with pleasure that he
had been invited to come here and ad-
dress meeting.
The State OF NJ aine had appropriated
$7O,0 900 for sugar beet factory, and en-
powered the Governor TO enter into con-
tract with parties for the erertion and
running of the factory. The factory had
been built, and ON the 18th of May last
the NJ aine Beet Sugar Company distri-
buted seed among the farmers, and made
a contract with 800 farmers for the beets
that they would raise. On the 2lst OF
October work began, and out of 400 tons
of beets they realized "a AGO pounds OF
sugar.
The speaker continued at some length,
and urged the people OF Delaware to
shake off their indi ference and endeavor
to establish the cultivation OF the beet
| g. B..rIn