Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-04-24
SUGAR BETS.

from the cane countries. These two
are inseparably combined, and the mix
ture goes forth as refined sugar, far and
near; and refined sugar it is, nothing
more nor less. Nothing is distinguished,
as there is nothing to distinguish SO it
must not be thought for moment that
there is any sailing under false co'ors.
Only this-that honor should be given
where honor is due. Up TO the present
time the cane has received in tho
popular mind the credit OF being tho
original source Of all this product; but
now that the sugar beet is struggling for
supremacy in American soil, its part in
Bweetening the worlds coffee can no
longer remain unacknowledged.
The amelioration of the sugar beet is
business in itself and would require
volume to discuss it thoroughly. In
this country it is as yet quite undevel-
oped, but in Europe has very long been
carried out on The most scientific and
elaborate scale. Having secured seed
that bids fair to produce q large yield
of sugar, the grains, which resemble or
dinary beet seeds in size and also in
point of containing severa germs, are
plantet as soon after the first week in
April as the weather will permit, quite
thickly, in rows eighteen inches apart,
the soil, which must be Of the BEST hav-
Ing been plowed at least foot in depth
to allow the tap-roots TO penetrate as
far as they wish, otherwise deformed
beet would result or the top appear
above ground and thereby accumulate an
undesirable amount Of salts. The roots
shou' d be Of as perfect shape as posi-
| BILE, the best type being q long taper
! Ing form with marked twist, resembling
| that of a cork screw. When the young
| plants show four leaves, they must be
| thinned out Immediately. one being left
| every six inches or SO. After repeated
cultivation the weeds will have disap-
peared and the broad leaves spread over
the ground. The crop must then be
laid by" it being very essential that
the foliage remain unbroken so that the
full complement may be in readiness to
absorb the sugar that the sun showers
down in reckless muniflcence. From
| now on each moment that they are
basking in solar splendor the honeycd
substance is mingling with the arterial
fluid, and flowing on, seeks the subter-
ranean storehouses. When sufficiently
ripe they must be topped and carried 10
the factory as soon a possible.
Arrived at the factory, the wagon or
car loads are weighed, tared, and as
soon as a sample basket for analysis
has been selected, the roots are stored
In sheds constructed for that purpose.
The latter are V-shaped and connect
with the sugar-house by means OF con-
duits through which moderate flow OF
water carries the beets Into these they
tumble hour after hour, day in and day
out, almost incessantly, for beet
sugar mill must never flag during its
| necessarily short season-say one hun
dred days run each year. The hapless
beets are borne along to their doom
like so many hogs to Chicago slaugh-
ter-house; on, on they go, in mad con-
fusion, as they are driven down
the length of the canals; through
the factory wall they pass, are
caught by wheel and hurried with
out ceremony into huge gutter,
where revolving arms spt ed them
along, and-mlnus stones, dirt, etc.
delivers them 20 spiral, which in turn
carries them TO the washer proper. This
10 an immense barrel, with sides per-