The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-02-03
SUGAR BETS IN SHIAWASSEE.
Practical Experiments Conducted by the
Michigan Agricultural College

Michigan Agricultural College
In 1897 the Michigan State Agricul-
tural College Experiment station con-
Quoted some interesting experiments in
sugar beet raising, the results OF which
are most encouraging to the people OF
this state. Under the direction of Prof.
G. d. Smith seed was sent to farmers in
SO counties, and the results from Ga
counties is given in tabulated form in
Bulliten No.150. Taking the beets from
all over the state it is found the average
per cent OF sugar for the state was
1910 per cent, and the average coeffi-
cheney of purity was "a per cent This
record is not exceeded by the best sugar
producing sections of France and Ger
many. The yield per acre is from twelve
to eighteen tons.
The Bulletin publishes the following,
which will be read with interest:
ga half acre of sugar beets grown by
Bert Cook, OF Owosso, Mich, on fall
plowed clay loan, following oats in '96,
corn in '95, and clover in '94, with the
ground thoroughly fitted with cutaway
harrow, followed by an Acme, and Guilt
waited with Breeds weeder twice before
thinning, required forty -four hours labor
to do the thinning for the half acre, or at
the rate Of eighty eight hours per acre.
Nothing farther in the way of cult
walton was done. to the crop after the
thinning.
The season was unusually cool and
wet. July was So very,wet that it was
impossible to get on the beet field with q
cultivator. In August, the. showers
were fairly well distributed and the crop
suffered from no lack of moisture
September was warm with almost con-
tinuous sunshine, giving just the condi-
tions required to develope the sugar in
beets. The second week in October was
wet and the days warm and murky. 1t
was necessary therefore to harvest the
beets at once to prevent asecond growth
and a consequent lessening of the per
cent Of sugar
The deep preparation of the ground
and subsequent thorough cultivation up
to the time of thinning had left the soil
in such fine filth that the beets grew
well below the surface. The Importance
OF this matter Of having the soil softand
porous to a good depth cannot be exag-
Qerated. In some parts Of the plots the
hard subsoil was not thoroughly broken
up by the subsoil plow. In these places
the beets, instead OF having the desired
long conical form, were short and almost
spherical in general contour, with large
branching roots. Such beets would not
be received by a factory, and would
therefore be worthless in the hands of
the farmer growing the crop for sugar
making purposes.
The beets were harvested October 10.
A plow was run alongside each row and
close TO it, throw wing the soil away and
leaving the beets standing on the very
edge OF the furrow. The beets were then
pulled by hand, the tops wrenched off
and the roots thrown in piles, which
were weighed and hauled to the pit to
be stored for winter feeding. Owing to
deep subsoiling and thorough prepar-
alton Of the ground, the roots were
found to have grown almost entirely
covered with soil, tie tops alone above
the surface. Few beets exceeded three
pounds in weight and the bulk Of the