Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-03-19
AGRICULTURAL.

| BEET SUGAR IN MAINE-A FEELINd OF DIS
| CoCRAGEMENT-DR. BLACKWELL s STATE
MENT BEFORE THE BOARD OF AGRIcUL-
TURE
At recert meeting of the Maine Board
of Agriculture in Lewiston DIR. Black
well, the treasurer of the Sugar Beet
Company, made the following statement:
In 1873 it was found that it cost more
TO dry the beets than they were worth. In
| 1879 contracts were made with LOO
farmers to raise 1900 tons of beets.
About 1900 men raised 5000 tons Of
beets on / 100 acres About 100 raised
over 20 tons to the acre, and l 800 raised
from 10 down to nothing. The general
feeling at present is one of discourage
ment. There were beets enough TO en-
ploy the factory - days. From 5000
| tons of beets there were made 900 tons of
sugar and syrup. The operation the
past year has not paid expenses, and in
terest on money invested, but having
money invested in the business the COM
pany will try it another year. Since no
profits were made the price of beets can
not be advanced. The majority of farm
ers will probably say that beets cannot
be raised at the price. Yet in nearly
every town there were some who raised
good crops and think it will pay, The
refuse of the beets was not appreciated
and nearly three-fourths OF the pulp of
the beets were wasted for want of pur-
chasers. Those who have used the pulp,
generally say that Il ton of the pulp is
worth full as much as ton Of beets
for feeding cattle. AIen in Lancaster,
Mass, who used this pulp last year are
willing to raise beets this year provided
they can be paid in beet pulp. In Ger
many the beet pulp is worth three dollars
a ton at the factory. There is no difficult
| ty in any man, whose land is IN good con-
dition, raising 20 tons per acre. In
Newburyport, Mas, the average was
twenty-fouI tons per acre last year. The
farmer should raise twenty tons per
acre and feed this beet pulp to his stock.
| There is not a farmer who does not say
| that he can afford to raise beets to feed To
stock. Yet he can sell the beets for So
| and receive e ton of beet pulp worth
more than the beets for feeding for less
than third of what he gets for his beets.
If the company fails of success il will
| be for want of beets. The industry will
either fail or succeed this year If the
beets are not furnished the beet industry
will be failure This year decides its
fate. La Germany where land is worth
$500 an acre and pays rent of S22j per
year. beets are raised and sold for 81. 30
per ton. Unless there can he obtained
20, 900 tons of beets this year the com
pany will not be able to paya dividend.
| DIR. Blackwell said that in Germany
| they said that beets for sugar should be
planted eight inches apart and in rows
ten or twelve inches apart. When the
rows are thirty inches apart the farmers
will not make so much. The beets may
be planted in rows II to Is inches apart,
and u to 10 inches apart i'll the row.
WORKING BUTTEE-uOW TO DO IT.
The best butter-worker for private use
land it is used in many of the best cream
eries), is the simple lever upon a slab of
hard, inodorous wood, such as oak, hick
ory, sugar maple, white ash, or stone.
The plank or slab should be made very
smooth upon its upper side, be 81 feet
long. . feet wide at one end, 10 inches at
the other, set with the narrow end four
inches lower than the wide end, with
sides. 4 inches high, screwed on. This
slab may stand upon three stout legs one
three inches back of the narrow end, and
two at the wide end. There should be
creases near the outer edges of the slab,
to carry off the buttermilk pressed ont.
Bore a smooth, i-inch hole } inches back
from the lower end, and fit in a hickory
or maple pin, standing 6 inches above,
and going ! inches below to receiving
hnlf-inch pin, to keep it from raising out.
A slot or mortice is made through this
pin, . inches above the slab, to receive Il
half-inch iron pin in the end of the lever.
This pin through the slab is made to turn
SO that the lever may be moved sidewise.
Now the lever should be a 3x4 inch maple
or hickory stick, feet long. rounded off
/ at one end, for handling, ana L.lf inch
| iron pin put INTO the centre of the other
end This lever is made smooth and
square; snd when the iron pin is placed
in the slot of the standing peg at the low
er end, and butter is placed upon the
slab, the lever is brought down square
upon it, and the buttermiik is easily pres
sed out This is n straight downward
pressure. and there is no occasion for al
lowing the lever to slip upon the butter.
This lever is easily handled by a woman,
who can work the butter from 90 cows
with greater ease than that from 3 to 5
COWS with the hand-ladle When one pound
| Is placeu upon tHS Gnu ol lne ltNtI, IL
produces pressure Of three pounds upon
the butter This worker is easily kept
clean, and affords room for working p
lbs. Of butter at once. The butter is
usually taken from the churn, placed
upon the worker, and ono ounce of pure
salt to the pound worked in evenly. but
with as little working as needful for this
purpose. The butter is then placed in a
pail, covered and set in cool place till
the next day, that the salt may be dis
solved. 1t is now placed again upon the
worker. and the little remaining butter
milk worked out, when it is packed in pail
or tub to remain The butter is turned
over upon the worker with the handladle,
and there is no necessity for touching the
butter with the hand. Twenty-Five
pounds may be worked in few minutes,
and will not tire any woman of moderate
strength. This worker is not patented,
and may be made by a carpenter in day.
-Liue-.HOc Journal