The state herald., 1892-03-25
HOW TO GROW SUGAR sEeTs.
Practical Suggestions as to tho Methods
and Results of Beet Culture.

We reproduce IN article on the subject @
sugar beet cultivation. It was written by !
G. Bond and published In the Gazette Of Nil
soula, Montana. Mr.. Bond says:
The best beet for sugar making purpose
should have the following characteristics:
The beet should bo regularly spindle-forme
TO pear-shapcd, with u simple and gradua
tapcring point with ns few MS possible adhcr
Ing rootlcts to Its sides. 9. II should have
mean weight of from one to one and hal
pounds. Smaller bects give too small bar
vest and larger have generally juice poore
in sugar. 8. The interior Of tho beet shoul,
be white, hard and firm. The beet should b
n variety which grows us little as possibl
above the surface Of the soil and should hav
a large number Of leaves. The white silcslal
variety, with small crumpled leaves, is mos
highly priced. The Slcsian Is better adapte'
for poorer and sander soils.
Any good soil Is suitable, but sapdy soil !
perhaps better adapted. The soil should b.
plowed deep so that the heads Of the bccts d,
not grow too high above ground, thus expos
ing 1t to the dangers OF hot suns and earl.
| frosts.
| For the production OF the best class Of suga
bects cool summer Is necessary. The follow
| ing places arc found suitable to the growth o
the sugar beet: Kansas, Nebraska, Utah
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northern Indiana
Ohio, New York, California, also Spain
France and Germany
The cultivation Of the sugar beet is n matte
Of especial Importance. The farmer who cx
poets to grow n beet rich In sugar by simpl.
planting the seed and plowing few inche
will be doomed TO disappointment. 1t re
quircs the frequent use Of the hoe, careful at
tcntlon and close supervision whicl
It is not usual to give to field crops OF thi
country.
The time for harvesting the beet usual.
begins about the first of October. The beet
are to be taken one by one and the leaves ant
portion OF the top taken Oft, which varies ii
extent with the position which the beet occu
pied In the soil. The top Of the beet tina
grows above ground contains very little snga
and large proportion of the total salts OF tn
whole plant After the crop is harvested ant
topped they are delivered to the factory o
else placed In heaps and covered with earth b
protect them from frost.
The bccts delivered to the factory arc frs
washed, then they are weighed and placed II
the slcing machine The sliced bccts ar
then carried by appropriate machinery to tn
diffusion battery. After the extraction q
the sugar the pulp Is chopped, then taken 4
the press which removes from the. pull
large quantity OF water. The cxtracte'
juice Is carried into large tanks, where 1t
treated with about % per cent. of lime; th
lime is afterward precipitated by blowinI
through the liquid n stream OF carbonic aci
derived from lime kiln, attached to the fac
tory. The material is passed through a iltc
press, which separates the juice from the soll'
matter. The juice thus obtained Is cvnporat
cd to the consistency of a syrup. The syrul
Is then put into a vacuum strike pan, where /
is crystalizcd and reduced TO n proper dcgrc
OF dryncss, then put into centrifugal ma
chimes where the nolasses Is separated AM
the sugar obtained In dry state. This suga
is known as raw sugar. II pure sugar is de
sired, bone black filters are attached TO tn
factory. This renders It pure and white. Tn
total cost Of complete apparatus for manu-
featuring sugar from sugar bccts on y com
mercial scale will vary from $4,000 10 $50,
coo, according TO the size of the factory. 4
sugar beet containing IL per cent Of suga
will yield 200 pounds Of sugar per ton. \
large quantity of sugar remains In the molas
scs. Experiments In Kansas give the follow
Ing RESULT. Number Of acres planted, Al
tons of clean bcets produced, Goes; pound
Of sugar made, lo,i5s; gallons Of molassci
made. $50. The seed was obtained frou
Germany aud from seven 10 eight pounu
were used In planting one acre. The seed wa
planted the ist Of May.