The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-09-21
THE SUGAR BEET.

W O6 ~ AO0I tttA0A---4 no 4uO1Cd- |
tons That New and Prof1ta-
BILE Industry May be Opened |
Up to Our People.
That the cultivation of hops and the |
sugar beet can be added to our resources |
there appears to be but little doubt. |
Our soil and climate are adapted to their |
growth and maturity and we believe
that both crops can be proftably grown
within our borders. The GOLD LEAF
has heretofore had something to say
about experiments being made with re
gard to the hop. The Charlotte News
publishes the following gratifying intel
ligence touching investigation along the
other ine-that of sugar beet culture.
1t says:
Congressman Alexander has been in
-vited to make a visit to the West which
may have most important result upon
the agricultural interests of this State.
The German syndicate that owns the
beet sugar works in the States of Ne
braska, Oregon, California, and Utah,
have invited him to make personal IL
spection of the works and to look into
the manner of the cultivation of the beet.
They have their eve on North Carolina
as a profitable field for cultivation and
they want to get Mr.. Alexanders views.
For that reason they have invited him
to make the visit
They propose, in case he thinks the
beet could be profitably grown in this
State, to furnish him for distribution to
the farmers a ton and half of seed.
Their only condition will be that each
farmer will make them a report of the
number of pounds of beets grown per
acre, and furnish one dozen beets for
analysis: Ii the experiment proves sue
! cessful, the syndicate guarantees to build
any number of beet sugar factories in
| this State. This would open up an in
| dustry that would lay cotton in the
| shade. Mr.. Alexander will make the
| desired inspection and his report will be
| eargerly awaited.
In subsequent issue of the Neus we
find the following letter bearing on the
subject:
Will you be kind enough to insert the
following in your valuable paper, having
read in your paper about Congressman
| Alexander being called to some Western
States to see about the cultivation and
manufacture OF French beet sugar, and
on his return to North Carolina try to
introduce the cultivation of the sugar
beet, to see If it could be successfully
done. Having moved to Charlotte two
| years ago this fall, this climate has at
once reminded me of the middle section
of France where the sugar beet and the
grape cultivation is the main source of
| living. The climate being so near alike
that | at once sent for French sugar beet
seed which | planted in the middle of
| May, which is two months later than it
ought to be planted. The ground was
not fertiliZed and not plowed over six
inches deep, which is no blowing at all
for sugar beet. | have now about l 900
beets in cultivation which weigh from 6
to 10 pounds apiece, and by November
they will probably weigh Is pounds,
all OF which are in patch ofground 46x9O
feet; so it can be seen that the beet will
grow even under half cultivation. The
following is the process of raising the
sugar beet in France, it's native country {:
The ground is heavily fortified in the
fall after the beets are gathered. In
February as soon as the weather will
permit, the ground is plowed from - to
10 inches deep according to the kind OF
soil it is, afterwards well narrowed and
rows inches deep and 3 feet apart and
the seed drilled in feet apart. After the
beet has grown from to inches they
are thinned out down to the amount to
be cultivated. Prom this on they are
hoed and kept clean from weeds in the
same manner as it is with corn. Now
as the ground is plowed very deep the
beet will grow down towards the last OF
the season, should the beet push out OF
the ground earth is heaped to it to keep
the beet from producing suckers or dry
ing out and as consequence getting hOl-
low. The over production OF leaves are
pulled Off and are carried out of the
field, put in heaps to be used as fertil-
izer next fall. The above is the way OF
cultivating the sugar beet in France
However, the farmer down here must
bear in mind to make a success of growing
the beet, sun up must find him in the
field and shutdown find him homeward
bound. Any wise farmer that has COWS
and sells butter should grow enough
beets to feed his COWS during the winter
as nothing can be grown that will give
richer butter, finer flavor and more Of
it than this beet finely chopped up and
mixed with bran and a little salt, morn
ing and evening.
hope very much that farmers here
will give the beet a fair trial and get con.
WINGED that there is more money in that
than anything else they can raise, so as
to get sugar refneries to be built which
means that there is again more employ
ment to a vast number of people as vel
as bringing wealth and prosperity to
the country. remain
Yours truly,