Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-01-25
FARM SCIENCE.
Brookings College Professors Civ,
interesting Lectures Upon Their
Own Experiments.
Professors Wheaton and Shepherd Dea
Win the Dairy and Sugar Beet.

nesday. January II, proved a very
profitable and enjoyable meeting, if
we may judge by the large attend
ance and the interest manifested.
The institute was organized by
clecting H. II. Blair president, after
which Mayor W. J. Comfy in a few
we'll chosen remarks welcomed the
faculty Of the agricultural college to
our county and city.
Prof. J. H. Shepard responded for
the faculty and in The course of his
remarks explained that by a law
passed by the last legislature it was
made the duty Of the faculty Of the
agricultural college to hold an insti-
tute each year in such counties Of
the state as signi6ed their desire for
such a meeting by a written request.
fle also expressed the hope that as
they we're here in response to such
a request, t,is meeting would prove
a profitable one to all parties, to the
faculty in furnishing an opportu-
nifty for them to learn more of the
character, resources and needs Of the
different sections Of this great com.
inonwealth, and to the people in al.
lowing them q chance to exchange
views and opinions derived from
their individual experiences. He
hoped also that the faculty of the
agricultural college would he able to
present some facts that would he of
value to the people, facts which have
been demonstrated by carefully con-
Quoted experiments at the United
States experimental station ut Brook
ings, S. d. He further explained
TINT this experimental station was
established and maintained by the
general government under the direc.
ton OF the department Of agricul-
ture; that while it cost the people Of
this state nothing, it was intended
especially for their benefit.
Prof. Wheaton then delivered a
lecture on clarifying" in the course
Of which he called attention to some
OF the special advantages possessed
by South Dakota lie stated that
it had been repeatedly demonstrated
that COWS would give more milk and
produce more butter when feeding
upon the native grasses Of South
Dakota than when pastured in tim
othy and clover east Of the Missis.
sippi. The professor then gave u
minute and detailed description of
the process Of butter making adopted
Mt the experimental station and
showed that many operations here.
tofore used by butter makers sub.
jected them to loss, both in quantity
and quality of bu.ter. He then ex-
hioited n milk tester and a cream
separator, showing how cream can
I've separated from new milk and
how the per cent of cream or butter
fat in any sample Of milk can he
determined. Some time was then
spent in discussion and answering
questions propounded by the butter
makers present, many of whom x
pressed the opinion that they had
gained valuable Information from
the discussion.
The institute then adjourned to
meet at the opera house at 7.3O in
the evening.
When the institute was called to
order in the evening, Prof. Shepard
was introG uced and presented the
subject of sugar beet culture. He
! stated that for three years past they
had been engaged in growing and
testing the sugar beet ut the expert
mental station and that two years
ago they had procured from Ger
many several hundred pounds Of
sugar beet seed aud had distributed
it in every county in South Dakota
east Of the Missouri river. requesting
farmers to carefully cultivate the
beet and send samples to the exper.
mental station to be analysed. Dur
ing the fall Of that year fifty-seven
samples were received from various
parts Of the state and were then an.
alyzed, the amount Of sugar found
in the samples received varied from
II to ~ per cent and the estimated
yield from Is to % tons per mere.
In Nebraska, California and Utah
the average yield has been less than
fifteen tons per acre aud the average
per cent of sugar less than IL per
cent, showing that the soil and eli
mate Of South Dakota is favorable
to the growing OF sugar beets. The
professor also stated that he had re-
ceived numerous letters from capt.
talists in the east, who were looking
for n location to- establish beet
sugar factories, and that one COM
pany would soon send agents TO
South Dakota to locate one or more
plants. He gave some figures to
! show the profit in sugar beet cul-
ture, showing that the entire cost Of
growing and harvesting the beets
would not exceed $50 per acre, while
they bring IS per ton ut the factory,
ard with q yield Of fifteen TONS per
acre would give a clear profit Of as
per ere. He further stated that
capitalists were ready TO locate and
build factories in South Dakota
without any local aid or bonus, only
requiring a contract for planting
sufficient land to beets TO furnish
work for their factory, aud he suited
that he believed the present time
was very favorable for securing fac
tories in South Dakota, as there was
plenty Of idle capital in the eaet
seeking for investment.