Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-12-14
Kansas Sugar Bects fer 1895.

Kansas Experiment Station, Manhattan, Kas
The Chemical department of the
Kansas Experiment Station has beer
continuing it's Investigation of the
adaptability Of the sugar beet to Kan
sas climate and culture. 1t would
seem probable, from our rather high
summer temperature, that the beet
would not grow with high sugareontent
in most parts of the state. Analyses
Dade through a series of years have
tended to confirmation of this view
Not only analyses made by our own
Station, but by the Department of
Agriculture at Washington, have
shown that, while beets of high quail
ity may be produced at times and
places, the general run OF tn m in
this state is only fair in quality.
One great difficulty in this work is
that farmers do not give them the
specified care. The modern sugar
beet is product of seed breeding
with the plants growing under the
most favorable conditions, and like
fine stock, it will st once deteriorate
il put into less favorable conditions.
The soil for sugar beets should be
prepared the previous fall if possible,
by subsoiling or deep plowing. Any
persons contemplating a trial next
year should get the ground ready
now. This year at two localities the
farmers co-Operated in a that Of their
respective regions. This is the prop
er thing to do. The Station will not
encourage and perhaps not CO operate
in tests by isolated farmers another
year. But where the people of any
locality recognize the value Of sugar
beet factory to local business and to
agriculture, ard are willing to grow
the beets according to standard direc-
tions, the Station will gladly make
the necessary analyses.
In many cases the beets sent in
this year bear evidence of, having
been grown on land not suited to
them or not properly prepared. This
is shown by their stumpy form, and
large proportion above the surface of
the ground. The growers in com par
atively few cases followed the direc-
tions for culture as to distal. ce
between the rows. 1t is we'll ascer-
tanned fact that to produce beet
rich in sugar = must be kept down
in size. One d one half pounds is
about right This with a perfect
stand would gre over thirtv tons to
the s:rs. I rows were eight ZEN
Inches sEsrt nd the beets ght
inches a11; sle row. Large y ,lds
are possible T. erefore, hout .cri-
ficing quali.l - weight. To plant
and till rows rs close as eighteen
inches, on the large scale, special
drills AMI cultivators are used. For
experimental plants hand work must
be depended on. A fair test of our
state can never be made until those
engaging in the work follow the
methods which experience has shown
to be essential to the highest success.
The past season has been unfavor-
able in many localities because of
the extremely wet spring followed by
summer drouth. The number of
plats destroyed by heavy rains would
surprise any one knowing the state
only as ''Drouthy Kansas"
About 100 samples have been ana
lyzed thus far, coming from all parts
Of the state. twenty-five OF these
were grown in Reno county and eight
in Sumner county, these counties
giving special attention to the test.
They, being in the southern part OF
the state, are not well situated CHM
atically. Twenty five samples from
Reno county gave an average result
Of 1898 per cent of sugar in the juice
The eight samples from Sumner
county gave IL 80 per cent. These
beets are thus Of only fair average
quality. Though they could be used
in sugar-making, the manufacturers
would be at great disadvantage.
The average for the state is II Al
per cent. This is somewhat lower
than last year. Twelve, or about one
in eight, yielded juice wit. e:7er IA
per cent of sugar. Only on Il these
was from the counties name above,
although they fnxaisas1 OF. 51ird of
Of all the samples. This I: beets
have nearly all como frvm uvrrhern
and western counties. The richest
we're from Cloud county, with 17.2I
per cent.
The advantages of successful
sugar beet factory to locality are
very great, but the injury of boom
collapsed is only too well known to
our citizens. II the Experiment
Station saves US from the latter it