Oregon union. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1897-1899, 1899-01-13

bany; thence, turning westward, it runs
near Syracuse and passes in south
westerly direction, touching the shore
of Lake Erie near Sandusky, o.; turn.
ing then in a northwesterly direction,
it enters Michigan and reaches its high
est point in that state near Lansing;
then going in southwesterly direction,
it enters the state of Indiana near South
Bend. passes through Michigan City;
then in northwesterly course continues
through the cities of Chicago and Madi-
son, reaching its highest point near st.
Paul; thence it extends in southwest
erly direction until it enters the state
of South Dakota, where it turns again
northwest and reaches it's highest point
in Dakota just above the forty fifth par
allel of latitude, where it crosses the
Missouri river. The isothermal line then
turns almost due south, following very
closely the one hundred and first degree
of longitude until it leaves the state Of
Nebraska near the northeast corner of
Colorado. Passing in southwesterly
direction through Colorado, it reaches,
at Pueblo, almost to the one hundred
and fifth degree of west longitude,
whence it passes in a slightly south
easterly direction into New Mexico,
turns to the west and crosses the one
hundred and fifth degree of longitude
at about the thirty second degree of lat
itude; then turning westward, it passes
in very irregular line through the
states of California, Oregon and Wash
ington.
Extending distance & 100 miles
| eaeh-sida Of this this isothermal line is q
belt which for the present may be re-
garded as the theoretical beet sugar area
of the United States There are many
localities lying outside of this belt in
which the sugar beet will thrive, but
this will be due to some exceptional
qualities of the climate or soil and not
to any favorable influence of higher
or lower temperature. A mean temper
ature of 20 degrees f. i'll the summer,
however, must not be regarded as the
only element of temperature which is
to be taken into consideration. In those
localities where the winters come early
and are of unusual severity will be
found greater difficulties in the produc-
tion Of sugar from the sugar beet than
are light and mild, although the mean
summer temperature of both localities
may be represented by 20 degrees E.
As an illustration of this difficulty may
be cited northern Nebraska and South
Dakota, where the winters are of great
severity. and southern California, where
there is scarcely any winter at all.
The mean summer temperature of
these localities is about the same, but
the continuation of semisummer tenn
perature through the winter in southern
California greatly favors the growth
and manufacture of the beets. In north
ern Nebraska and South Dakota the
beets, which are to be manufactured
during the winter time, have to be pro-
tected by expensive silos. In southern
California and other places similarly
situated the beets can be protected with
out any covering or at most with only
slight covering of leaves or straw. The
season for planting in mild climate is
also longer. For instance, in southern
California planting can commence as
early as January and continue till June,
thus giving beet crop coming contin-
uously into maturity from the 1st of
August to the 1st of December. In 9th
er localities the planting must be ac-
complished in short time, say from
the 10th Of May till the 1st of June.
Before the first of these dates the
ground will be too cold for planting,
and after the second the season will be
so late as to prevent the maturity of
the beets before frost. When the field is
properly plowed and snbsoiled in the
late autumn, the farmer will be able to
take advantage of the first favorable op-
portunity in the spring to prepare the
surface Of the soil and plant the seed.