The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1894-10-27
Rect Culture.
THE DALIEs, Oct. %, 1894.

uow existing, and attempt 10 create new
avenues of revenue TO make up for the
| declension in prices of products. This
may be done most effectively by diversl-
fed industries, and the farmer should
vary his crops for the benefit of the soil,
as well as for replenishing his finances.
The passage of the Wilson bill by con-
gress has opened our gates wide to the
products OF all nations, and this has made
producers study more closely crops which
| give the largest returns.
| Good sometimes come out of evil, and
amidst the disastrous legislation of the
last session the passage of the 40 per cent
tariff on sugar may have the effect OF
stimulating an industry hitherto little
known in this country.
BY aid of such protection the sugar
beet industry may be inuagurated, in the
near future, and if soil and climatic con-
ditions are favorable, several beet fac
tories may flourish in this land of plenty.
The question of proceeding in the cuI-
tlvatlon OF sugar-beets and the mode of
manufacturing sugar from them must
therefore be of great interest to the tIller
of the soil.
| Having grown up in far away Ger
many, where sugar manufacturing is
| flourlshlng, and where it has been the
main agent that has helped the farmers of
that country to their present independent
position and financial standing, | shall
endeavor to give in detail, an account of
raising sugar-b beets, aud how the planter
proceeds after they are raised.
To raise sugar-beets, the ground should
be plowed as deeply as possible to enable
the plant in its downward growth to pen
citrate deeply into the soil. Seeding
| should begin IN this latitude about April.
After the ground has been thoroughly
| pulverized, the seed should be sewed
| either by hand or drill, one-halt inch
| deep and II inches apart. Early sowing
| Is preferable to late sowing, as for some
cause or another resolving may become
necessary.
After the plant Is up and so far ad
| vancei that it can be readily seen, cultl-
waiting should begin, and, two or three
hoings may be required before the plants
| are thlnned out to one on hill. Hoing
| must then be continued as long as the
tops of the young beats will permit, and
must not be stopped until they have
nearly covered the ground. Small cult
vators may be used at first; but iaer on
the hoe can be used to better advantage.
Particular attention Is required that none
of the leaves or tops are covered, that the
body of the beet is not exposed and fully
| under ground, as all of that pars of it
which comes in contact with the air Will
not contain saccharine or sugar sap. and
is waste except as feed.
Fertilizers of any kind must not be
used as they will not increase the sacch-
arlne substance in the product, which i'm
pels It's growth In the latter part of the
summer and in he fall seasons. The
plant reaches its maturity in the month of
October, when the harvest may be COM
mencei and continued until the crop is
harvested. Too great haste should not be
exercised in this work, as it Is considered
that the beet improves IN quality so long
as it is in the ground, and slight frosts do
no injury. As soon as the beets are dug
and denuded of their tops, which, by the
way, must be cut off above the ground,
(for reasons stated above) they are thrown
into small pits and covered up as soon as
possible, IN order that they may not be
exposed too long to the air
The yield per acre varies from ! to l5
tons, which at the price of $500 ton
would make handsome gross earning
Cost of cultivation should not exceed
$3.50 per acre, which is three times as |
great price as paid in Europe. One
man can cultivate and harvest five acres |
in season, and has ample time LETT for |
ether kinds of work.
Sugar factories in many parts of Ger
many are established on cooperative |
basis, as joint-stock companies. Say one
share of stock represent the payment of
$500, and the obligation OF raising and
delivering to the factory the entire crop
of beets of five acres of land. Shares may
be divided into fractions as small as one
fifth to suit convenience.
The business is managed by directors
who are elected annually by vote of each
share. In this manner companies so es-
tablished will protect themselves most
llx,o OF n |
The Office of director should be honor
ary
The benefit growing out of the business
to a community are manifold; for IN
stance, the dividents paid to shareholder;
employment for laberers; paying invest
ments to all sugar beet planters; fattening
of stock at small expense; improved con-
dition of the SOL, accomplished by a
Gu tiEation; end easy work for
all members of a family, young and old
on farm.
The above description of beet culture
shows the possibilities of such branch
hat steps should be taken in this direc-
ion by every farmer, who has desire to
improve his condition. And this is more
important as patch of Deets, consi sting
,f few acres, could be used for feed for
'tock. 1t requires only small lot of ]
'ugar beets from which may be ascer-
aimed the quantity of saccharine pro-
luced. In closing this meager effort, /
must also add that the government OF .
Germany, during the years from 1866 to c
S74, levied a revenue on the sugar indus
ry equal to the price of beets at mark or I
5 cts. for each one hundred pounds $
Whether ornet that same practice still Q
xists am unable TO state c
A FRIEND OF THE FARMER i,
GilpEnA {