The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-01-01

beets. He demonstrated that IL could
be done with profit. In 1893 Achard
addressed . petition to Frederick
william III, King Of Prussia, and
besought the patronage and protec-
ton Of that monarch In the prosecu-
ton Of beet root culture and the man
ufacture Of beet sugar. Being finally
persuaded OF the merits Of the dis
covery the King subsidized the In
dustry with $4,000. This fund was
expended In the purchase Of land In
Lower silesla, where In 1901 fsc-
tory was built, and In the following
year the process Of making beet sugar
began. Within . year six other fac
tories were started-one In Russia,
two In France and three In Prussia.
Then came the NaPeoleonic wars,
and the development Of the beet su-
gar industry wac for many years at .
stand still. Achard was also the
victim Of Q disastrous couf1agration
In 1909 which entirely destroyed his
factory and machinery. Although
heavily involved In debt Achard had
both faith and courage and Get him
self to work In the direction Of rehab-
IlItation. The King released him
from the payment Of his former loan
and advanced him further financial
aid, with which Achard founded q
school for practical instruction In
In the industry Of beet sugar. For
tune did not smile on him, however,
aud at the time Of his death In 1921,
Achard had not an OPPORTUNITY to
see the industry to which he had
consecrated the best years OF his life
In . fiourishlng and prosperous con-
dition.
Referring to the present condition
Of the industry in Europe Consul
Merritt says the output from the
many hundred factories for the year
extending from August |, 1889, to
July 81, 1890, IL one OF the greatest
ever known, and rivals the cane SUI
gar districts Of all parts Of the world
both In quality and amount. 1.-THE
cost Of production, he continues,
''has been reduced to less than that
Of any former year. This 10 not at
tributable 10 . larger development
Of sAccharine In the beets, but Is the
result Of technical and scientific i'm
provements In the management OF
the factories. Formerly II was cal
culated that 1919 pounds Of beets
were required to produce q pound Of
sugar; now sugar can be produced in
. proportion much more favorable.
In the lowest estimate S32 pounds Of
bests make 100 pounds Of sugar, while
the highest estimate requires only
1917 pounds Of beets for . pound Of
sugar.
There are about thirty kinds Of
bsets which are grown for the sugar
factories Of Germany. Each kind
has some claim Of special merit for
special localities. Much depends on
the kind Of soil to be planted, and
In the selection Of beets to be soUn.
Among the most necessary elements
successful cultivation Of sugar beets
are the richness Of the beets In sac
chArine, the procuring Of the seed
from the most reliable sources, the
proper preparation Of the soil, the
use Of the most improved fertilizers
and the careful attention to the har-
vestIng Of the crops. A visit to the
beet-groWing districts will disclose
that the best crops are obtained from
Q loose, sandy loan called . mild
soil. The roots grow deep and re-
quIre soil prepared fully IL inches
deep, supplemented by . subsoil.
Care IL observed to avoid wet coil.
Certain districts have certain regu-
Iations regarding the width Of beets
In the rows. All are governed by
lexed Intervals, and 10 stated that the
nearvF the beets grow together the
more saecharine they contain, but
the smaller they grow. On the bet
ter class Of soils beets should planted
closer than on the poorer soils, If
uniformity Of sire 10 desired. Grow
ing Of beets 10 decidedly beneficial to
the soil. and improves Il for cereals.
Crops should he reasonably alter
mated In order to rest the soil.
Consul Merritt proceeds to specu-
late concerning the future OF beet
sugar In the United States. He ex-
presses the belief that the climate
and coil OF large portions Of the states
Of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,
Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin.
Minnesota California, and many
other districts are perfectly adapted
to the culture Of sugar beets, and he
suggests that . government expert
msnt station be established. Consul
Merritt ssys 70 would not be difiscult
TO enter upon the industry at once,
and he submits the following plan
10 order, he says, that all interested
might share In the undoubted pros
perity which would result
"a stock company with . capital
stock Of asa, 200 In $500 shares Of 500
each, could be organised. Three
nfths Of the shares could be made
''best shares' and two-afths cash
shares. Ten or 30 per cent Of the beet
shares could Be paid In cash. and the
balsbes might be gradually deducted
frcm TIE money due the shsrsholasrs
fsr the bssts asllssrsd ~ thsm b