Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-19
BEE1-SUGAR MAKING.
CULTIVATION or THE PLANT AND
COST OF FACTORIES.
poR LECIDLE POST : AARkS.
First-Assistant-Postm"ster "e"e'"'
Heath determined to Secure THIS
y mn IL Possible to DO So
wsshingfon Personals.

A.. Walt the Agricultural Department
This morning. and there Mr.. H. W.
vvu.v chief OF the division OF chemis-
try and formerly director OF the depart
nonts sugar-beet experiment station IN
Ntbraska. gave me some general inior-
nation regarding tho culture and develop
ment OF the sugar-beet as well as the
cost Of a sugar plant. From special
report made recently by Mr.. Wiley
make the following extracts:
Among the farmers OF the country
there IA In general an erroneous opinion
respecting the manufacture Of beet sugar.
especially concerning the cost OF lac
tory. II Is well that our farmers shou'o
cherish 40 Illusions in regard 10 this mat
ter. The manufacture OF beet sugar II
an Industry entirely distinct from agri-
culture. and can only be successfully ac-
complished BY the investment OK large
capital under the direction OF skilled aru-
sans. From the nature OF the process, IL
IS quite improbable mat any simple
method OF home manufacture of beet SUI
gar will ever prove commercially success
fnl. The Juices OF the beet are extracted
with difficulty. They contain large guam
titles OF mineral salts, which render the
crude sugar and niolasses made thereirom
bitter and unpalatable. Simple processes
for the extraction Of the juice can at best
remove only from 90 to 70 per cent. OF the
sugar which the beet contains, and thus
a percentage OF loss is incurred. which OF
the very outset renders II impossible for
a home apparatus 20 compete with large
factory. Beet sugar for the reasons
given above cannot be used in the raw
state as II the case with the products
derived from the sugar cane. sorghum
and the maple tree. The refining OF the
sugar is a process which requires an ex-
pensive outlay for machinery and high
degree of supervisory skill. 1t cannot
therefore, be accomplished upon the farm
The various schemes which have been
proposed whereby the farmer is assured
O. the possibility OF preparing a crude
product 10 be subsequently shipped TO
central refinery are not practicable on
account OF the radical difficulties above
outlined The low prices at which sugar
r. sold render imperative in the process
of manufacture the most economical
methods, which are only made possible
by the use of improved machinery ope-
rated under the direction of technical eK-
perts. The farmers of this country. as
the case with lnOSc VI EuiOpt III IL
spoct of the heet-sugar industry. must
bs satisfied with acquiring the requisite
degree OF agricultural skill to produce a
crop Of beets with a paying tonnage ana
q high content of sugar.
"One Of the remarkable facts shown by
the statistical tables In this bulletin is
found in the information they contain
showing that the sugar-beet has been able
on demand to supply tho remarkable de-
fciency in the worlds sugar crop pro-
duced by the Cuban war. In three years
the supply Of sugar furnished by that
island has fallen from 100000 10 about
10000 tons. and yet there has been no
appreciable deficit noticed in the total
sugar production Of the world.
THE remarkable opportunities for the
extension of profitable agricultural! in
dustries in this country, through the
medium of the sugar-beet should not be
suffered TO pass unimproved, and the
farmers Of our country should not rest
satisfied until they see our own fields pro-
duce the sugar which we consume
GROWTH OF THE BEET.
Experience mas shown that the sugar
beet reaches its highest development NJ
north temperate ATTITUDES. So far as the |
production of beets with high tonnage Is
concerned. II is found that this can be
accomplished IaT 10 the south. Dut uttNo
grown In such localities are, upon the |
whole, less rich in sugar and less suitable |
for tho manufacture of sugar than those |
grown farther North. 1t must be remem- |
bered, however, that the expressions |
north and south do not refer to any abb
solute parallels OF latitude but rather 10
tsotherna lines. which i'm many cases run |
oDliauely to the parallels OF latitude ana |
In some cases cross them almost al |
right angles. AS result of tnany years |
OF careful experimentation. IL may be said |
that as far as temperature alone is con-
cernod the sugar beet attains its greatest |
perfection in zone of varying width,
through the centre OF which passes the |
isothermal line OF ~ degrees Fahrenheit |
for the months OF June July, and August. |
The sugar-beet does not require a |
particular kind Of soil for its proper |
production In general. soils are de- |
scribed for practical purposes as clayey |
sandy. loamy. OF alluvial soils; all of |
these soils will produce beets. The black |
prairie soils also have been found, with |
proper cultivation. TO produce excellent |
beets. Generally. the least favorable
soils for the sugar-beet are stiff clay. |
which is cultivated with difficulty and |
readily packs under the influence of |
hard rains and hot suns, and virgin soils |
or those especially rich In organic mat
ter or alkaline salts. Perhaps the best |
soil may be described as sandy loan;
a soi containing a happy equilibrium
between organic matters clay. and sand. |
"In general. II may be said that any
sol Which will produce a good crop OF |
Indian corn wheat, or potatoes viii, un-
der proper cultivation. produce a good
crop OF sugar-beets. The soil on which |
sugar-beets are grown. however, should
be reasonably level. and this being the
case. II should be well drained. Natural |
drainage on level soil being somewhat
deficient. II Is advantageous that tile
drainage be practiced. II would be diff
rult to grow sugar-beets on level land
without good drainage especially in a
rainy season.
Happily, In most American soils
there Is still sufficient natural fertility
20 produce q good crop OF sugar-beets;
whereas. in the soils OF Europe. where
sugar beets have been grown for years,
the farmers must depend on fertilizers
10 insure a remuneratlve crop.
COST OF FACTORY.
1.-The cost of building a frst-class beet
sugar factory II much greater than is
commonly supposed From the most re-
liable data at hand. II may be stated that
In Europe the cost Of erecting a factory |
with the most modern machinery, of q |
capacity OF at least 900 tons OF beets per
day. Is aboat 100000 In this country II
Is probable that. owing 10 the increased
cost OF transportation and the higher
price OF labor. the cost Of a similar fac
tory would be at least $4,000. II is
not advisable TO attempt TO manufacture
beet sugar with smaller factories or with
machinery and appliances which do not
represent the latest improvements. 1t Is
true that there are many parts OF
sugar-factory which have not changed
much within the last twenty years, but