The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-01-23
WE SHOULD RAISE SUGAR BETS.
The Cultivation of Sugar Beets A Pro.
fltable Industry-General Analysis.

Mr.. EDITOR: To have something
to write about and then write about it,
is very good motto and one well adj
hered to is very good thing. Now to
the subject. The sugar beet, as I be-
lieve, will be if it is not already, as far
absorbing topic. We as farmers will
have to scare up something else to raise
besides oats, potatoes and hay in order
to fill our exchequers with double
eagles. We must, also, find something
that will Great a demand or market
right here at home; something that
will pay us to raise; something that
will pay or remunerate capital to take
hold of to manufacture. Now after
looking over and investigating this
matter from all sides and both top and
bottom, can come to the one and only
conclusion; the cultivation of the sugar
beet. After investigating the subject
for something over year, in all of its
bearings, | can see no reason why the
farmers should not engage in the Guilt
vation of the sugar beet as a remunera-
tive crop and for the express purpose
of manufacturing them into sugar.
Some no doubt, are ready to say, can
we grow sugar beets in the State of
Washington that will pay both the
farmer and manufacturer? We are
ready and willing to answer yes, most
assuredly. This point has been definite
ly settled in different sections of the
state by many different persons in the
last four or five years. On page II
in Bulletin No 9, on sugar beets, de-
partment of chemistry for 1894, the
Hon. Elton Fulmer, chemist, gives us
an analysis of eleven samples of differ
ent varieties, the lowest and highest
in weiget being 6.25 ounces and 22.25
ounces respectively, while the larger
beet gives the smallest per cent of
sugar in juice (13.9) and cOeffeciency
of only III per cent IN purity, the
smaller beet more than makes up for
the deficiency in the larger sample,
which, when we draw an average,
gives us beet that will pay, both to
raise and to manufacture into sugar;
the per cent of sugar in juice being 1874
and of purity 85.4 which gives an aver
age of almost Is per cent of sugar in
Juice and average of over so per
cent in purity, which is calculated to
be beet that will pay big to make in
to sugar.
Now how about the beet here in San
Juan county? We hear them say on
almost every hand, ooh you can't raise
beets here, there is no use to talk about
it ~ Is the above true? l trow not.
We are again ready to answer in the
affirmative, we can. And from actual
tests made during the past summer,
not only by one individual but by al
most dozen different persons on Lo-
PEE island, the verdict comes, we can.
For one, Mr.. j. H. Bartlett got a per
cent of 14.7 and 1913 of sugar in juice
from two samples weighing 81 and 33
ounces respectively and a coefficiency
of purity of 49, and 89.1 per cent and
that from beets raised on his Beaver
marsh, where did not expect so much
richness. / can produce as high as forty
tons per acre whcih would give me the
snug little sum of $4,000 at $500 per
ton. say we take out $1,000 for cultiva-
ton, harvesting and getting to market,
still l have left $4,000 as profit. Will
it pay? Yes, it will pay. l am unable
to offer anything from any of the other
parties as / have not been able to see
their reports.
Now Mr.. Editor, ], your humble SER
want challenges the state, not only the
state but the United States, to COM
petitive test, if there is anyone that can
show better analysis than what | OBJ
tanned from beets / riased the past sum-
mer want him to step to the front.
Who comes for fine contest? Now
brother farmers, what do you say after
a perusal of these few broken sentences,
will you up and at the monster poverty
or will you go on skulking after the
spud, the festive spud, at six or eight
dollars per ton, and no market only as
you can catch one? Now farmers
what do you say, will you call meet
ings in your respective districts and
discuss the question? If so, | would
like to be on hand and hear you. Who
calls first ? j. II. BARTLETT.
Washington Agricultural College Ex
pertinent Station. Division of Chemistry.
PULLMAN, WASH, Dec. 80, 1S95.-Re-
mort of ANALYSIS of sugar beetS from c. M