The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-09-27

this country at Grand Island. Neb., in
1890. The speaker said he had travelled
all over this country investigating the
conditions suitable for the raising OF
sugar beets. One OF the principal
features here is we have plenty of rain
while in Colorado and California they
have to irrigate and that makes 1t ex'
pensive. l found parts of Colorado,
California and Nebraska well adapted
for sugar beet raising. Pecos valley,
Texas, we'll adapted; Wisconsin we'll
adapted; Michigan splendidly adapted.
Any section of the country that raises
good corn, apples or peaches, is good
place to raise beets. There is no place
better than in some parts of Michigan.
Especially we'll adapted is the Saginaw
valley. From beets raised in the val
ley we find more sugar per acre in the
beets. In fact this valley has no rival.
If we have no meddIing with the tariff,
the demand for sugar will be greater
than the supply, thus assuring the
future of sugar beets. 1t is not my
business to tell of the profits in beet
raising to farmers l could not find
among the many farmers of Alma who
were raising beets one single man, ex-
ercising half common sense, but what
was making it pay large. In some
cases l found where their profit had
been large enough to buy whole farm.
What we want is large number OF
small acreage. We don't want to ex-
coed ten to twenty acres. If your soil
has quick sand under it don't put beets
on that soilunless it is wet season. If
your soil is good plow it deep-about
two inches more than usual. Get the
Geld soil on top this fall Get it in the
shape of garden. Have 1t smooth
and free from Jumps. Don't be in a
hurry to get seed in-April 20 will be
plenty time. Don't work your clay
land when it is wet. Keep the weeds
down on the start when preparing the
land. When beets show the fourth leaf
thin then. Will cost you So more per
acre if you wait until they get larger.
If you wait until they get twice as large,
it will cost you IS per acre and you will
not get as many beets. So beg of you
to thin in time. After timing cultivate
and kill the weeds. By keeping the
surface cultivated, you will have good
crop of beets if it does not rain from
June to September. The factory will
assist in getting help for timing which
will cost about s. so per acre.
Mr.. Smith said he was going to quit
his job of $4,000 per month to go to
raising beets. He said he would not be |
afraid to pay $1,000 per acre for rent to
raise beets. If factory is located in
Chesaning it will greatly enhance the
value of your farms. You should haul
back from the factory the pulp and feed
to your stock. Also the lime that has
been used should be hauled in the fall |
and put in pile and spread in the
spring.
The speaker put considerable stress
on the folly of raising and shipping so
much grain and hay. He said it would
be but few years before this country |
would be like many other sections-the
land completely exhausted. He adj
vised shipping stock and sugar, for by
so doing the land could be easier kept
up. This is a business where the |
farmer is always on top A factory is
good for nothing but making sugar.
You have the advantage can raise
or not raise beets, and your farm is
good for raising other crops.
In answer to few questions the
speaker said: Don't apply pulp to soil.
Will injure the land. Cattle will eat 1t.
In planting beets be sure and get the
rows straight, so that you can cultivate
four rows at time. Plant from eight |
to ten inches apart in the row and get |
the rows about eighteen inches apart.
BY so doing feel safe to say that you
should raise about fourteen tons to the
acre. The beet is plant that likes
cold nights in September. Glover sod
is good to precede beets. Timothy sod |
is not so good.
You raise the beets and capital will |
build the factory, will assure you of
that.
Takes the burn out; heals the wound;