The Yale expositor., 1897-05-07
THE BEET SUGAR.
Many Farmers Becoming Interested in
This Crop.

Many Farmers Becoming Interested in
This Crop.
The officers of the Port Huron Beet
Sugar Company say there is much in
terest being taken in the growth of the
sugar beet throughout this section.
One hundred and twelve farmers have
taken seed so far, the quantity being
about 500 pounds.
Although many farmers seem to be
desrous of growing an experimental
crop, there is much difficulty in i'm
pressing upon them the necessity of
giving the necessary care and attention
to the work. Almost every farmer
knows how to produce big crop of
fine quality of the ordinary garden
beet but to produce beets with suffi-
cient sugar in them to make its ex-
traction possible is an entirely different
matter. Every farmer also knows from
experience that the crop from an acre
of land planted with corn be exchang-
ed for something like 100 or 125 pounds
of graduated sugar at present prices
On the other hand but few realize that
If that same land be planted with the
sugar beet and properly cultivated and
cared for at least 5000 pounds of gran
ulated sugar should be extracted from
the crop. To get this sugar, however,
requires what Is termed "intense farm
ing" and but little of this has been
done In this section. There will be no
object III experimenting with the sugar
beet unless it is the intention to make
a thorough test of the soil and climatic
conditions. TO raise beets containing
from SIX to ten per cent of sugar is
worse than useless, because such beets
would be refused at a factory, and in
order to enlist the large amount of
capital needed il is necessary TO show
that beets containing high percentage
of sugar can be and will be raised in
quantities sufficient to enable factory
to be run at satisfactory profit
Further, the greater the percentage of
sugar in the beets the greater will be
the price paid and consequently the
more profit to the producer
Another fact to be taken into consid-
GRAFTON this year is this: At the end
of the season when the beets have been
subjected to the required chemical test,
the records of the Port Huron Beet
Sugar Company will show who have
raised high grade beets and who have
not. 1t is the intention TO publish the
names of those who have been most
successful and the results of their sea-
sons work. Further, in case Il greater
acreage be offered than can certainly
be taken care Of next season, only
those who have been the more success
full in the experimental work will be
asked TO make contracts for future
years.
Farmers should bear in mind that
this subject is of great importance to
them. fhe possibilities of the sugar
beet are tremendous and if the soil and
climate of this section proves suitable
for it and factory for extracting the
sugar is established at Port Huron, the
value of every acre of land will be ma
terially increased and that of the bet
ter lands multiplied many fold The
market for sugar in the United States
cannot become limited for many years,
for the reason that the consumption is
rapidly increasing, both as to total
amount and the amount per capita,
Therefore the demand for the beet
crop must continue almost indefinitely