The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-11-24
CCaN LIND is SUGAR eGsT LAND.
Some SDggestIors r,- the Consider stion of
The Farm 5Js.

some sDES0HIiCFS me SOESiOSkSl1oG OF
The EsI m s5s.
The New Castle, Indiana, Courier
rep rts ameetsn2 in :hat city last week
cf The farmers CT the surrounding
neighoorhood to hear an address from
Prof. Wiley, CT the United States de-
pertinent OF agriculture, on the sub.
i:ct of sugar beet culture. The meet
ing was composed Of representative
farmers, and was large enough to FL
the court room, and the new industry
is regarded with great interest By the
farmers generally Throughout! the
Middle States.
Prof. Wiley, it is briefly explained,
gave an instructive talk" Among
other things that he said OF general
interest was that while some soils
were better adapted than others to the
growth Of sugar beets, "any soil that
was capable of producing good corn
would produce good beets, hsving the
r, quisite percentage of saccharine
matter, If properly prepared and well
cultivated" He laid much stress on
toe Importance of deep ploughing, in
order to give the plants the proper
downward growth, and of thinning
out the plants as to get the best re-
suits. Oue point that he made de
serves special notice. The sugar beet
crop, be said, is not an easy one to
raise. Tha: is, it is not crop that
raises ITSELF" and no lazy or sloveniy
farmer is likely to succeed with it.
Another interesting point, and one
that will be new to most farmers, we
think, related to the effect of the best
crop in improving land and enhanc-
ing lis value, In discussing this part
of his subject Prof. Wiley stated that
in the northern part of France, the
great wheat producing section Of that
country, the annual average yield OF
wheat had increased from seventeen to
twenty six bushels per acre, and that
the value OF lands devoted to beet cul-
IRE was far in excess Of that Of
lands in other localities The pulp
rom the factories, he added, is in
valuable as food for cattle, sheep and
hogs, the fuest milk and butter in all
Europe being made in those districts
where the COWS are fed on beet pulp"
With beet sugar factory st New
Castle, he declared, "the farming
lands within radius OF several miles,
if now worth 500 an scre, would with
in ivs years be considered cheap at
$780,
These facts and suggestions, says
the State, may prove Interesting and
useful to some OF the farmers in South
Carolina. Corn can be grown and is
grown in every part of the State, and
the sugar beet can be grown, accord
ing to Prof. Wiley. on any land that
produces good corn. Among the re-
Iisites tor a successful beet sugar
factory, which he mentioned, were
IAN abundance OF good water and
plenty of limestone Good water
abourds N the State, and there is
pIently OF limestone IN some of the
counties at any rate. The main re.
quirement besides these two is plenty
Of bets, fof the right quality, and tie
very frsI question to be decided for
any locality IS whether it will rro.
d1ce good bee:s. That is a question
which only farmers Of the district can
decide. Il is noted tnst at the meet
ing il the Indiana county many of the
farmers who were present exhibited
specimen beets which they hsd grown
this year for purposes OF experiment.
Il would appesr to be highly de.
sirable for like experiment to be made
in tVery part Of South Caroiiua. a
crop that will double the value of
land outright, that will Increase its
groduc;iveness for other valuable
crops, and that viii s rye to establish
an inpora4t agricultural Industry ot-
des the one for which it is especislly
employed, is sorthy OF the thoughtfuI
&tteution Of farmers 10 South Csroli-
ma. lis possible, indeed, that there
nay oa some Carolina rais-d sugar
oeets on exhibition at the State Fair.
We hops there will be. as OK 4ct les
sors Of this kind are far mcre effective
tdan arguments. II there a:e none
this year, we mag still hope that there
will be E goodly exhibit rext year.
The crop is surely destined to become,
in the nesr future, one of tna most
i'm oortaut crops in the country. It
may afford 2 large fi,ld for agricul
taral enterprises IN S1U.h Carolina.
We should not neglect it while other,
r richer States are oivino Il so large
measure of attention.