The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1899-02-09
Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station
Sugar Beets and Sorghum In
Ohio In 1898.

Division ofChemistry OF the United
States Department Of Agriculture,
the Ohio Agricultural Experiment
Station offered last spring to supply
farmers with sugar beet seed Of the
best quality and in sufficient
quantity to plant areas not exceed
ing one acre for each. Preference
was expressed for smaller num-
ber of such areas rather than for
large number of small plots In re-
sponse, 233 persons returned agree
ments to plant and cultivated
certain areas, aggregating about
100 acres in all.
Small packages were sent to 1l3
other persons. The aim of the
years experiments was to develop
sugar beet growing in such man
ner as to aid the farmer In decid-
ing upon the various questions per-
tanning to this proposed new in-
dustry.
Samples of the beets grown were
snalyzed, either by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture or by the Ex-
pertinent Station. After harvest
ing tho beets, reports were sent to
the Station upon the various feat
ures connected with the expert
ments. These analyses and reports
have been tabulated and the
bulletin of results, No. SO, Ia now In
press. 1t will be sent, upon issue,
TO all who may apply.
The general results Of analyses
for 1898, for the various sections OF
the state, in comparison with those
OF 1897; also the averages for the
various counties is given in the
February bulletin issued by the
Ohio Experiment Station where II
Ia shown that the beets were less
rich in the sugar and showed lower
purity than in 1897. Many fine
plots Of beets were grown in the
state, however, Notwithstanding
these less favorable results.
The temperature of Ohio was
higher than the average in each OF
the four months. July, August,
September and October, 1898, and
the rainfall was decidedly In excess
In August and October and close to
or slightly above the normal in
July and September.
These conditions of abnormalIy
high temperature, accompanied
with excessive rainfall, favored the
development of the leaf spot fungus
OF the beet, which was observed to
be very abundant, aud to this cause
is probably in large part due the
relatively low percentage of sugar
found in the beet this season.
In 1897 the temperature was
above the normal for each of the
four months except August, but
after July the rainfall was far be-
low the average, September and
October being ranked by the State
Climate and Crop Service as the
driest months on record in Ohio.
Such weather, with its abundant
sunshine and freedom from the
conditions favoring fungous growth,
would be especially favorable to
the production of sugar.
THE SUGAR BEET CAMPAIGN FOR 1893.
Taking tire experience of the two
seasons, it is evident that the problem
of profitable beet sugar production
is not yet solved, for the northern
third of the State at least, but that
We need to continue the investigation
until we have accumulated series
OF observations sufficient to justify
an assumption of what may reason
ably be expected in the average
Ohio season.
The Division of Chemistry Of the
National Department of Agriculture
has again offered to the Ohio Ex-
pertinent Station supply of pure
sugar beet seed, of new Importation,
for the continuation of these tests
through 1899, and for this purpose we
desire to secure the cooperation of
farmers in different parts of the State
especially in the northern and west
ern portions. We especially desire
that these tests should be repeated
by Those who have had experience
In growing beets In 1897 and 1893,
and to this end the Experiment
Station will furnish tested seed In
quantities sufficient to plant one
forth to one-half acre of beets to
such as will undertake to carry out
she test and report the results as In
1893.
IMPROVED VARIETIES OF SORGHUM.
The National Department of Agrl-
culture has been conducting expert
ments with sorghum for a number
Of years, which tests have included