The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-03-12
Agricultural.
BETS AND BEET SUGAR
PROFITABLE PROFITS OF THE BUSINESS.

"
product in America? This is a question of
considerable Importance, because the sue
cess of this industry would be accompanied
by a wonderful change in our system of agri.
culture. Not only would our methods Of
cultivation have to be changed, but our
manner of feeding and rearing cattle and
sheep would require mobilization, because
large part Of the profit of growing beets Is
derived from the utilization Of the pressed
pulps as fodder. Itis vain to look for sue
cess, either in growing beets or ia disposing
Of them profitably, unless at least 20 tons
per acre of the roots can be grown and
some methods Of using the pulp are pro-
vided. But both of these requirements
are not only possible nut easy, fjr, as
at the distance at which the hects are grown
viz, % by Is inches, $4,000 per acre may
be produced, and n moderate ant very pos
sible sizs OF l, OF is three pounds 33 tons
per acre may be produced. At the price
paid for these roots at the Maine factory,
- per ton of 2,2i0 pounds, an acre would
bring $3.50. This should be a temuutra-
liberal culture of which the price of the
sei, SO per acre for ~ pounds, and that ,f
1000 pounds Of superphosphate, or $50
would be the only cash outlay, leaving $l27
per acre for the labor and use of the land
and yet leave an appropriated residue Of
fertilizer in the soil, of considerable value !;
With regard TO the utilization of the pulp
this will be subject to some difficulty, ex-
cept in the case of those who grow a large
quantity of roots, or uness the pulp is fed to
cattle at or near the factories When 8
farm er grows say 100 tons of beets, the pulp
left, viz, 90 tons or thereabouts, will be a
very small item in feeding cattle, and will har-
dly pay to make special business of itunless
sheep are kept to consume it, as the rations
givcn-S pounds per day to fattening sheep
aud 90 pounds to a steer--would hardly go
far enough for the latter to make the pur
chase for the small number of cattle thai
can be fed, worth while Seven steers il
120 days would consume the whole of the
refuse from four or five acres of beets and
there are few farms on which more than that
acreage could be devoted to this crop.
1t is evident thai in the majority of cases
the growth of beets would not have the ef-
feet of making much change in our system
Of culture, so far as regards the enrichment
of the soil, if only 20 tons of refuse or
enough fodder to feed only head of cat
tie could be made available on farm of 60
or 100 acres, unless by the use OF large
quantities of fertilizers the acreage should
be increased to 10 or u, or even 20 acres
yearly. 1t is possible to feed about head
of cattle to the acre or sheep. With II
acres feeding flock of 100 heavy wethers
would help considerably in fertalizing the
land, but hardly any more than would the
same breadth Of corn. So that, so far a
the improvement of the soil by manuring,
which is made so much of by some writer,
in this connection, the culture of sugar beet
isa delusive mythe, a fancy and a fantasy
Unless the production of beets can be made
profitable in itself by growing large crops
and selling them to the proposed factories a
"a or S. per ton, there will be no other ad
vantage, and we must consider this question
in its naked view, and as we would crop o
tobacco or cabbsges. If farmers can realizt
800 per acre, or even $40, the prospect fol
profit is sufficient to induce them to grow
the beets and work up to product of II oi
10 tons per acre at least, and aim at more
if they can hit the mark. must say that
arn notvery sanguine that we can socn reach
this necessary product, for which my ex
perieuce for the past two years | find it no
so easy to grow tons of sugar beet per acr'
as 25 or 80 tons of mange!s. Three hundred
bushels of sugar beets, or Q tons per acre
is the largest yield | have measured on tn
best rows, while some rows where ther
were vacant places for a rod, and in which
transplanted beets lived but did not grow
would not measure one ton per acre, anC
yet, adjoining these, the long red mangels
fro II y to "a pounds per root, and kisset
each, other. in the rows ia many places >
that there are roots and one root differetl
from another in glory, and the least .,lor
ious OF the root tribe is the sweet but modes
sugar beet. Therefore, | am inclined It
doubt whether on the whole the cultuT
of the beet will succeed, excepting upol
soils that are especially adapted for it, an
these soils are few aud far between. Fo
the sugar beet is an exacting root twill
not thrive on soils filled with vegtabl
matter, or on ciays, or on sand, unless the
are mixed with argiaceous such soil a
the Mohawk fats, the Connecticut rive
bottoms, the sandy loans underaid wit
,niv rif ola in hn or q
Maryland and Delaware they will no
thrive on soils as rich in potash as the san
dy lands OF New-Jersey or those Of Lon
Island, or on the black prairie lands of tt
West And besides, the land must be fire.
from weeds, otherwise the hand labor i
be more than an average American farme
would bear
WHAT Is IT ADVISABLE TO DO.
The question then appears how any par
ty wishing to invest the $4,000 or NOR
needed for a complete factory, can satst
himself that the locality upon which h
.may light is fitted for a successful beet cul
ture. A few failures, such as that of Chats
worth, ILL.,, a few years ago, and that whicl
seems imminent in Maine at the presen
time, will not encourage other investors t.
invest their capital unless they can be as
sured that.the beets will be forthcoming il
sufficient quantities and proper quality
The whole business is in the hands of tn,
farmers themselves, If anything is to b,
risked, it should be hGzarded by those VIII,