New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-13
SUGAR-BEET CULTURE.
RESULTS OF THE SECOND SEASON AT
SCHUYLER, NEBRASKA.
REPORT OF THE EXPERIMENT. SrArIoN-PRoflIS
OF THE wOKK-CARE WITH WHICH
SEED is CHOSEN

Government sugar Beet Experiment Sti'iol' "ne"
located at Schuyler, Nebraska is. now In the ha's Vi
the public. Ii Possesses new Interest one pofioh
OF it being devoted the data of results obtained
from the endeavors TO produce home grown sugar
beet seed. Two years required 10 OBTAIN sceo
from the beet plant Tie beets that were grown I'D
the season OF 1891 had to be preserved untl the
spring OF 1892, when they rcplanted Tor the
production Of seed which MaIred about August.
The selection OF the becs which preserved from
the crop of the reccdng year for propagation uses Is
a work OF the greatest Importance, and the words y
the assistant I'm charge OF the Government station set
forth the mode In which the operation IS conducted
lie says "The mode OF selection o. the mother beets
was by examining all OF each variety grown at the
time u harvesting. and taking out from the whole
every individual beet whose properties came within
TIE standard of conditions required" The conditions
We're that the beet should be q tie form typical oi
variety and Of the size approved for propagation
uses. Tile beet should have more or less tapering
and elongated form, according to the typo OF The
variety, and one Leading tap root, which is gradua-
ton Of the body OF the beet TO port. In respect
OF Size, beet selected which weighed less tlal
800 grams or more than 200 grarls.'
The selection which has been explained so far was
conducted purely upon tllc physical properties OF the
beet. In the spring and before planting each beet
was analysed chemically and by means OF the poari-
scope. Each beet Is saTpkd and its richness III
sugar determined according to the method given, and
the contents Is made the basis OF division ana
classification OF the bees into grades. which are dis
nguishcd from each other by their less or greater
| richness In sugar.
The selected bees, called mother bees," pre-
served through the severe Nebraskan winter In sos
specially constructed for the purpose. The aim and
principal OF solEr the preserving OF the beet In the
precise condition n which 1t removed from the
soil the previous fall The silos at the Schuyler sta
ton answered the purpose admirably The bccts not
| anv cnnlp mt ound nndC hey NJ
fresh MS when they put in, having lain in moist
cold sand for four months
The number OF bccts planted for seed was ABB
out Of this number not more than twenty bccs failed
grow" which indicates vitality and soundness that
are not usual. OF the whole number planted three
grades formed. and the seed from each Of these
grades and OF each variety kept separate. Re
spcc,ing the TO be- made OF these several grades
the assistant In charge says "The extra quality grade
will be used exclusively upon the experiment station
In further high class experimentation. NO. grade
will also be used in portion by the station for
experimental purposes. No. II grade. which may be
considered seed OF ordinary commercial quality,
will be distributed sold for the production OF DeetS
for factory USE
The 4 435 beeis planted 9s.3 rods OF ground and
the seed obtained from that was 593 pounds. or
OTIS pounds per acre. Nalung the seed, according 10
the report, at 20 cents per pound dt has 10 be under
stood that the seed produced of very high dual
lty) the value Of the product OF oo3 rods was Sllo
or at the rate Of SOB 40 per acre.
These experiments continues the report, when
represent the first endeavor produce sugarbee seed
by the strict methods OF selection and culture which
are practlccd In Europe. and which have brought the
European varieties to their present standard oil excel
lcncc and value. trustworthy, although mn ihla
indication Of what 1t may he possible to accomplish In
the soil and climatic conditions Of the region In which
the station is located"
$50 far the indications full Of promise OF sue
cess
The report proceeds consider the results OF the
season Of 1892. one remarkable phenomenon which
marked the history of the last years crop was an In
sect visitation. The effects Of the attack were OF n
serious nature, tho very precise data collected
hy the assistant in charge set forth. The portion OF
the beet crop which csoared the attack OF the pest
Welded over sixteen tons per acre; but the part OF
Tho Mats which were raVaccd by the Insects yielded
only lOj tons showing that tlo crop was damaged
to the extent Of six tens per acre, which meant per
mere a los, Of over so. The Visitation extended
more or less over the beet growing gions ana much
loss WAS recorded strict measures. however. have |
Leon undertaken against r'turrei"e ol The pest.
In speaking Of the yield of the station experiments |
tho r.nort gives a comparative statement OF the Yield |
I'm bccts and sugar per acre OF the experiment !
station Of the French Government nj Capelie' France
with the mean results OF the schuyler station Tor |
the years of 1891 and loJ2
stations Eee's per ; acre sugar per S,, 'Trs ere
schuyler (Nebruska) ..........los tons. oA3o IDS |
Tn. roport coufncs the comparison OF results |
cu,lycly TO such stations in Europe as lave been |
and arc conducted according TO methods Involving |
tbc same scientific and accuracy rs are rractiscd
at SCHUYLER And IT IS seen that the American work |
makes an excellent appearance hy the side OF the |
rreucb station II also must not b. forgotten that |
we ore spcaldng Of the work Of the home station In
only the second season Of its career, Willie the |
forrru stations have been I'm operation. certain OF
Them over twenty years. There Is every ground for
satisfaction and encouragement.
Inward, the end Of The report brief but clear eX |
annie i, given OF the actual cost Of production Of an
acre OF bccts UPON the schuyler station. 1t Is pointed
ont particularly that all the horse and manual labor
WAS purchased at the daily market prices and that |
in consequence the total estimate Of cost is con |
sideriby above what the farmer would lay out II he
furnished all the teams and much Of the hand labor
himself The total cost per acre. including also Ia
rrn of nnd and transport of the crop. was 10 4
The value of the crop grown upon the ochuyl<
station was 800 20, leaving thus net profit
culture furnished By the Government station. %
the hand utterly destroy the illisory IDEAS o. |
wIld enthusiasts who state that there Is huge and
immediate fortune TO be made out Of beet growing.
We're there one-half Of the profit in beet cnltiv"
farmers In the country would turn their lands into
beet farms. But on the authority of those official
statistics II Is shown that Il good proft-arger than |
Is yielded by any ordinary branches " ngrcuurc-
can be- realized in growing heriS for sngarmalhns
where the most approved methods, OF culture arc !
prnctlsd The assistant I'm charge. for the benefit OF
such as unable to porus" all the details If the
report, summarizes the result, Of the season In the |
following brief paragraphs
The first attempts made for the production oi |
homegrown seed Were successful. The yield and |
quality Of the seed satisfactory. and yet th'
Indications that In Sci>on normal climnii"
conditions the results OF production would be notably
greater.
q" The cultural season marked by extreme de |
parurcs from the normal In respect OF climatic con
nI hyh tpulp nfu
during the period OF maximum growth. which caused |
"A smaller weight cf hectS per than would gen
orally be produced. The dry period and high tenn
prraturc, however caused richness Of In
The beet and a satisfactory Weld sugar to the acre
AN insect attack wrought great ravage In the crop, |
which reduced very notably the results of production
per
The experiments conducted In order 10 determine |
the cause Of decomposition and loss OF sugar In the |
in stornge Indicated that the primary causc Of