The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-04
INTERESTED IN BEET CULTURE.
Lac quf ParIe Farmers After Point
ers on the New Sugar Industry.

body of farmers from Lac qui Parie
county, in Western Minnesota, who have
been visiting at the state agricultural college
of the university for the past two days, were
given a reception at the Commercial club
last evening. The party came to Mime
apolls for the purpose of learning what could
be obtained concerning the sugar beet in
dustry, and the meeting last night was de-
voted to beet culture.
Lac qui Parle county has taken great in
terest In the culture of the sugar beet, and
already there four 1ourish4ng organiza-
tons in the county, branches of a national
organization, whose purpose is to encourage
the growth of the beet, and secondly to
oppose the sugar trust Beet raising has
products or the county, and now the ques-
ton is to get the beets manufactured into
sugar. The farmers Of that county are
willing to raise the beets if they can find
a manufacturing establishment near enough
at hand to make the sugar. They want to
interest Minneapolis capitalists in the mat
ter, and that was the leading thought in
the remarks of the gentlemen last evening.
Prof. Harry Snuder, of the agricultural
college of the university, was first called
upon to tell what he knew of beet culture
For the past eight years the college has
been experimenting with the sugar beet and
1,O79 samples have been produced. Analysis
has been made Of beets raised in all parts
Of the state, and it is found that nearly
every portion of Minnesota has soil ia
vorable to the production of the beet.
carload of beets had been sent to a manu-
14.5 per cent of sugar, 80.5 per cent pure.
This was regarded as a very satisfactory
result.
Prof. G. D. Frankforter of the department
of chemistry at the university, was next
called upon. He had been interested in the
beet culture ever since experiments were
first made at the University of Nebraska
and he had studied the question while a
student in Germany and France. He believed
that the United States should go into the
beet culture. and hoped the time would
soon come when all the sugar consumed in
this country was raised at home. During
the past year 500 000 900 had been sent out
of the country for sugar, which gave work
to large number of laborers in foreign coun-
tries. In Nebraska wonderful results had
been attained, and there was no reason why
Minnesota could not do as well. He was
glad that the farmers of Lac Qui Parle coun-
ty had taken the lead in the matter and he
looked for their success.
II. l.. Hayden, Of Madison, spoke first for
the party. He said there was no question
but that beets could he raised in the state
especially in Lac Qui Parle county but the
question of a manufacturing plant was of
more serious moment He thought the mat
ter was worth the attention of the money
owners of the city. He looked forward to
the time when all the sugar used in the
state should be raised and manufactured at
home.
c. M. Anderson, CT Dawson, was the next
speaker. He. too, believed that his county
could raise the beets, If it were possible to
get them converted into sugar.
William H. Eustis was then called uron
and, in his f1owery manner, succeeded in
keeping the audience in good humor for half
an hour. He told of his experience in farm
ing, which had been quite extensive At a.
cost of so cents he had learned how to raise
beets. He had answered an advertisement
and was pleased to learn that the way to
raise beets was to take hold of the tops and
pull.
John Driscoll, Of Madison had studied the
sugar beet business somewhat in Nebraska.
While stopping in a small town in that state
he ate sugar which had been raised in the
vicinity, and had been manufactured there
1t was as good the usual granulated sugar
John Kosenwald, Ener Hoidale and others
were called upon.