The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-05
surar-YieIdinG CrOps-Beets, Sorg-
ham. Cuba-Caue.

ham, Cuba-Caue.
IT E. C.. wants to know I'D if the sugar
heet could be proftably raised in South
orr Georgia. as a source of sugar; ~
what the relative proportion of sugar is
- boot Cuba cane and sorghum? (3) what
is the average yield of beet root per acre
and the average yield of sugar on land ca
nable of producing 400 pounds of lint cot
ton or thirty bushels Of corn?
In the absence of any experiments bear
ing upon these questions, we can only give
II E. C. our opinion thereof. We have
M doubt whatever that the sugar beet
cou,d be grown to perfection anywhere in
Southern Georgia, if the effort was made
on land that would produce 400 pounds or
lint cotton The beet root could certain
" be grown, but whether 1t could be
grown profitably as a source of sugar, of
course we cannot say. 1t has been found,
if we are not mistaken, that beets grown
in the south do not contain near so much
sugar as those grown in our northern anu
northwestern states.
In Nebraska, where some of the most eX-
tensive experiments in sugar raising from
beets have been made it was found thar
a fair average contents of sugar was 15
per cent: that a fair yield was twelve
an aggregate of $500 pounds of sugar per
acre The range in number of tests was
from eleven to fifteen tons of roots per
acre and total product of sugar from $500
to 5000 pounds In Nebraska the time
of harvest is about the last of Septem-
Der or by the middle of October.
Some Arkansas-grown beetS the same
season showed on analysis content or
sugar ranging from to IL per cent In
growing beets for sugar it was found not
to be advantageous to grow them to a
large size, a crop of medium-size beets
(about one and one-half pounds) yielding
more sugar than beets twice that size as
rule. Ten tons of beet root may be es-
teemed a very fair crop. 1t would be easy
enough to grow such crop on such land
as mentioned.
Now as to sorghum, it has been found
that the range in sugar is from about IL
TO Is per cent, a fair average being about
Is per cent. The range in yield of clean
canes ready for the mill is from eight 10
fifteen tons, according to variety ana
quality of soil. AS to sugar the output
ranges from two to three thousand
pounds.
Cuba cane on good land yields thirty to
forty tons of clean stalks, each ton of
which produces from 125 to 240 pounds OF
sugar and certain amount of molasses.
in addition. The average, or, rather, poor,
upland is about 1000 pounds of sugar ana
Jos gallons of molasses
What comparative test of these three
sugar-yielding plants on like soil in
Southern Georgia would show we can
only speculate. There has been no sat-
lsfactory test made as yet but we hone
our experiment station will be induced
to make such before very long.
Inc expense of establishing an acre Of
beets or sorghum is comparatively little
"hHe on the other hand, to establish
an acre of Cuba cane" the cost is
considerable, especially at the initiative Of
us culture. The young farmer who is
wiling 10 exhibit a reasonable patience.
and not be too eager to become rich. can.
py starting with one acre, soon be in
condition to plant ten or twenty acres
without finding the expense of such
character as to deter him from .enlarging
the area of his new venture. The uues-
tloI whether sugar promises to be the
Prohtable crop of the future must first
De settled before one undertakes to change
10 II from such other crops as he has
peen growing. What does it cost to seed
an acre of these three sugar-producing
crops? We shall attempt only to approx
mate 1t; at the same time inviting any
ieduer Oh practical experience to correct
Us If we miss it greatly
Three pounds of sound clean. sorghum
seed may be esteemed extravagant seed
ing Tor the most careless sower At a.
Instance between the rows of three feet.
Two pounds is usually sufficient Cost
say, so cents.
IN seeding to beets, ten pounds of seeds
are ample even when the rows are only
twenty inches apart. OF course the
SEEDS must be of good quality (S5 to so
per cent. good. Ten pounds of seeds cost.
say S2SO An acre of Cuba camel What
uoes It cost to seed it? An authority on
cane growing says: Where the rows
are seven feet apart it requires four tons
pD pounds) of canes to properlv plant
an acre. For hve-foot rows, 51s tons.
ABOUT how many stalks are in a ton?
mere IN Middle Georgia a stalk weighing
~ pounds is good one. That gives 800
10 me ton. In four tons, therefore, there
would be 5000 stalks; in 5I5 tons A. 400. This
- LOT the rich cane lands of Louisiana,
@nu allows two stalks and a lap of sew
SIal inches regularly i'm the row. We
uouot If any Middle Georgia cane grower
mas ever used this amount for seed. Our
own question is this. Is not five feet am
PIE Instance for cane on our average best
sols, and with that distance in rows are
NOT 900 stalks, averaging 21s pounds, suf-
Hclent to plant an acre property? We
would be glad to have some Of our ex-
perleneed growers of cane give their views
upon this question.
another question to our practical grow
ers or cane: DO you utilize your stubble
as you should? What relation does the
second years crop bear to the first when
me stubble is carefully protected from
frost
The great staple crops of the world to-
uay are cotton, tobacco, sugar, corn,
oats' wheat, barley hay, rice. One or
more OF these must constitute the foun-
uatlon upon which the farmer builds the
superstructive of the diversified. self-sup-
porting system of tillage that supports
happy prosperous home. The various
branches of stock farming is the out
come the second story of one or two
OF the staple crops mentioned Corn ana
nay or oats and hay. Then there is green
pasture that may be esteemed also as
d. staple crop. Men have made a good
a a,Ig by merely taking other peoples
stock to pasture.
me scores of minor or side" crops, such
as the various fruits, large and small
a,,egetables Of all kinds from Asparagus to
q. what vegetable begins with q? It
DOESN'T matter But men have made sra