Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1897-11-20
Concerning Sugar Beets.

Concerning Sugar Beets.
The United States consul at Magde-
Durg, Germany, says that beet farms
and beet sugar factories must stand
close together. 1t is idle to grow beets
IL there is no mill at hand to extract
the sugar from them, and it is idle to
build factory IL there are no beet
farms at hand to supply the raw ma
terial. In addition TO the adaptation of
SOIL and climate to beet growing there
lore the farmer must consider the suit
aDllity OF the place for the establish
ment OF a factory, and, conversely. the
would-be manufacturer must consider.
apart from the intrinsic availability OF
his mill site. the possibilities of beet
culture on the surrounding farms. The
requirements for beet culture are &
rich, deep soil, with a porous, we'll
drained subsoil and a generous appli-
cation OF suitable fertilizers. The cli-
mate should be such as to assure fair
~ moist weather for the first three
months of the growing season and one
month or comparatively dry, sunny
weather following. Indeed, the latter
is the more important. for the neces-
sary moisture OF the first three months
can be supplied by artificial irrigation.
When such conditions of soil and cli-
mate do not exist there is little use in
| trying beet culture. Where they are
found the farmer will be justified in
making some practical experiments
with sugar beets, not on a large scale
necessarily. but in small lots, in var
ious parts Of his farm. II it be ascer-
tanned that beets. can be successfully
grown in a given place the next ques-
ton is whether factory can be, profit
ably conducted there. The essential re-
quirements for factory are water for
washing the beets, etc, fuel for the
engines. and limestone for purifying
the saccharine juice. These must be
close at hand. or readily and cheaply
procurable from a distance. If they are
not there is no use IN building a fac
tory and none in attempting to grow
beets. If they are mutual agreement
should be made between the farmer and
the manufacturer, the former stipulat-
ing to provide sufficient quantities Of
beets to make the factory profitable,
the latter to take and utilize the prod
uct of the farms. All these conditions
complied with. the enterprise may be
undertaken with good promise of sue
cess. That there are many places in
| the United States where 1t may be thus
undertaken is not to be doubted But
that fact must be ascertained by ac-
tual experiment in every case, unless
disappointment and disaster are to be
| the result.
Local Value of Fruits.-It is true be-
/ yond a doubt that local conditions of
soil and climate cause fruit to greatly
vary. Thus the Rhode Island Green
ing is a splendid apple in its own dis
| trict, while in central Pennsylvania it
| is a tough. nearly worthless fruit.
| Smiths Cider is a valuable winter ap-
pie near Philadelphia, while it is not
much grown elsewhere. In central
Pennsylvania the Major is a valuable
| apple, not much known out of the CEN
| trail counties of the state. The Ben
Davis is said to be an excellent apple
| in southwest Missouri. The lie Conte
pear is of no value except in the south.
| Strawberries vary greatly within a very
narrow radius. Planters should pay
much attention to this matter in max
| ing their selections of fruit trees and
| plants.-G. G. Groff in Exchange.
Swine Supply.-The September re-
port of the department of agriculture
says: Reports as to the number of
stock hogs for fattening show a de-
crease OF 80 per cent from that of
last year. The reduction is greatest
in the following states, the figures in
dicating the decreased percentage:
Mississippi, IL; Texas, 10; Arkansas,
10; Tennessee, 10; Kentucky, 16: Iowa,
| IS; Nebraska is the only state with l.
00u 200 hogs or upward from which an
| increase is reported. the gain for that
state being 5 per cent. in point OF
condition the reports are fairly uni
form. Only five states and territories
out OF forty-eight report less than 80.
while only two. Rhode Island and Ne
b, aska, are as much as 100.
Harrow After Plowing.-In our anx.
iety to speed the pillow when the ground
is in good order after a rain We are apt
to neglect narrowing just at the right
time, thereby losing moisture and
money. The big holes in the plowed
ground should first be stopped, the soil
stirred frequently, and particularly
after every rain the entire surface
| should be broken. We have no right
| to complain of the soil drying out un-
less we first do all we can to save the
moisture We get.-Ex.