The National tribune., 1884-06-05
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
BEET SUGAR MUST COME.

y
from which we make some extracts. IN the
ears of sorghum enthusiasts it may sound like
rank treason to speak of the prospect OF sue
ceSsful sugar beet culture in this country. To
the impartial observer, however, the idea is
not so unreasonable. In its own natural belt,
sorghum is probably to hold an important place
in the near future. But sorghum sugar aid
beet sugar have entirely different fields, which
scarcely touch or lap over each other; and we
shall not be surprised to find a belt of consider
able width running nearly across our continent,
between the sorghum sugar and beet sugar
belt, where neither sorghum nor beet sugar can
be produced at a profit.
Let us look moment at the present status
of the beet-sugar industry in this country.
Among the wrecks are those undertaken in
Illinois and Wisconsin several years ago, and
the more recent ones at Wilmington, Del;
Franklin in MASSACHUSETTS, and Portland in
Maine. A complete beet-sugar factory was
erected at Franklin, which, In all its appoint
ments, was not inferior to the best factories in
Europe.
What were the causes of failure in these in
stances? Many. Wilmington, Del, is too far
south for profitable beet-root culture. Frank
lin Mass, and Portland, Me-, are favoTably
situated in respect to climate, and the cause OF
failure there was therefore quite different. 1t
arose from the unwillingness of farmers to grow
the beets. This was q new departure in agri-
CULTURE lot tHcll. IHey were pFGCtttdIly lguOI-
ant OF the proper methods OF culture. Ihey did
not know what fertilizers to employ, and how
to apply them. The beet field must be looked
at more as garden than as a field, and its care,
therefore, is more horticultural than agrcul-
tural. The hand and hoe are the two magic
wands that bring success to the sugar beet.
The sugar beet fourishes best in climate with
a low average temperature and rather high
humidity or moisture during the summer
Tho fem af11rn for the
three months of June, July, and August should
not exceed zoo Fahrenheit, and the mean
monthly precipitation of rain or moisture Tor
the same period be at least two inches.
~ present only two beet-sugar factories are
in operation in North America Ore of these
is in Canada and the other in California In
the latter nearly one and half millions of
pounds of sugar were made last year. The pro-
duction of sugar from the sugar beet has the
advantage over sorghum that little attention
need be paid to the season OF manufacture.
The beets are so readily preserved that the
manufacture can be continued through the
winter, whether working in the mild climate
OF California or the severe ones OF Minnesota.
" The sugar beet, too, is happy in containing
only one kind of sugar, VIZ, sucrose. The
amount of glucose in the healthy, ripe beet is
SO small as to be practically unappreciable. In
the sorghum, rs is well known, the percentage
of glucose is often great as to totally unfit it
for sugar making.
Upon the whole, then, the present outlook
for beet sugar is far more encouraging than for
sorghum. This is not said to discourage the
sorghum industry, in which We have great
hope, but simply TO make known to our read
ers as nearly as possible, the exact truth re-
specting this question, so important TO every
farmer in the land. OF course these great in
dustries will not grow to maturity In a day.
They will both have TO pass through some tri-
ais occasionally discouraging ones perhaps
before they will reach the highest measure of
success American enterprise and capital viii
be equal to the emergency"
MuDEw ON ROSES.
"Viclss Magazine says that the best prevent
ives of mildew On roses are good drainage,
high manuring, selection OF strong varieties,
proper pruning, and busting with sulphur as
soon as it appears. It is contagious, and some
varieties are more subject TO 1t than Others"
We take the above from an exchange, and
copy it for the sake of making few remarks
on the paragraph. In the first place, we are
led to believe that by strictly following the
aforementioned items in management, miidew
VIII be prevented but the last item dispeis
this belief, because we are advised to dust with
sulphur as soon as il appears. This is equiYa-
lent to confessing that the best prevent
ives" are not reliable, and makes the whole
TO say that rose miidew is contagious, or that
some varieties of roses are more subject TO it
than others: all varieties are alike subject 70
it when all the conditions are precisely alike.
Mildew on roses is caused by sudden and ex-
IRENE changes of temperature the young
leaves; hence, if two plants, even Of the same
variety, are placed side by side, one Of the
| plants having growth of young shoots three
or four inches in length and the other plant
| not furnished with shoots of recent growth
| but having only older aud matured leaves
| the former may be severely injured by miidew
| while the aforementioned would not show any
| signs of it, both being under the same atmos.
| pherical conditions.
| We are, therefore, led to conclude that the
| writer OF the quoted paragraph had no knowi
| edge of the cause of miidew; otherwise, he
| would have known that the advice he tenders
would not save roses from being widowed il
/ they were subjected TO sudden changes OF tenn
| perature, especially if from moist, mild at
nosphere to dry, harsh one.
| We have not yet met with the advice Il
| stamp ont rose mildew by killing off the ros;
| plants, as has been advised by some microscop
lists in order to get rid of blistered leaves or
| peaches, but some sayant Will probably s0oT
| do so. -
NARROWING TO ELL WEEDS.
| The system of running smoothing harrow
over corn and potatoes just as the plants bav'
| appeared well above ground is an operation o
| very great Importance TO the crop. In soil
| that are apt TO bake after rains the crust il
| thus broken up and the growth OF the young
| plants vastly encouraged. But one of the chic
/ results is that g. multitude of weeds are de
| stroyed, the roots of which have not, as yet
| penetrated TO any depth, and are, therefore
torn up and destroyed by the harrow. In stiff
| ish soils, which are certain to become hard ant
| baked on the surface after rains and the sub
| sequent action OF hot sun, the narrowing should
| be applied even should there be no appearance,
| OF the crop; this will make difference of sew
eral days in the early growth of sorghum, corn
| potatoes, or any other crops 70 which 1t car
| safely be applied.
In the culture of garden crops, an iron
toothed rake skillful1y used may, with th,
| labor Of q few hours, obyiate the necessity 0
| spending days with the hoe after weeds hay
/ shown their growth. Nowhere is f0resigh
| and prompt action more necessary than Ia TIN
culture Of fields and gardens.
RAIsINs FROM NATIVE GRAPES.
We are often asked for native grape which
viii make good raisins but all our attempts t.
! dry the berries have been unsuccessful w
have seen dried Iona grapes that seemed f
| come very near being commemorate, but tn
| raisins from the foreign grape, as grown il
California, leave nothing to be desired il
| quality. We have repeatedly seen sample
| that were equal to the very best imported va
| rieties, which shows that it is possible to pro
| duce them if proper care is exercised in dryin!
and handling. That there are many poor sam
pies in the market is to be regretted
A writer in the R,tr1l Ne,r- FarLer haa I'll