Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-08-28
Location of Sugar in Beets.

Mr.. Edward G. Post, Secretary OF
cooperative beet sugar company OF
Michigan, has been obtaining some
| figures showing the location OF the
sugar in beets. The object was to
ascertain how low the beets should
be topped The general opinion pre-
walls that the top OF the beet con-
tains very little sugar and may as
well be cut off. By the top is meant.
| not the leaves, but that part of the
beet above the surface of the ground.
Mr.. Post had samples Of his beets
taken and analysed. Every beet was
cut into four portions. One of
these was the beet above the ground
line. The rest of the beet was then
divided into three equal portions by
measurement. One lot of beets con-
sisted of roots that were about ideal
as to form, growing very largely be-
low the surface of the ground. The
four sections Of the beets averaged,
counting from the top. top, 14.S per
cent sugar. firsts 1872 per cent. Sec
onds, 145 per cent, thirds l4.3 per
cent.
The second lot of beets had con-
siderable portion of their bulks above
the ground; the figures ran 14.4,
1416, las and 14.1. In this lot the
sugar content was about as good as
in the first, but not quite. The aver
age was 14.4 against 14.9 with the
first lot. The third lot of beets grew
very largely above the ground, and
the whole sugar content Of the beets
seemed to be lowered by this fact.
The percentage ran 11.3, 1913, 12.o
and 1875, with an average Of 11.9. A
large sprangle-rooted beet that had
grown largely above the surface was
examined and found to average for
the whole beet 10 per cent sugar. A
beet of this kind would not be accept.
ed at the factories at all. 1t Is
fit only to feed to live stock. The
data obtained by the gentleman
named certainly favor the beets that
grow mostly below the ground. They
do, however, show that II is a mis-
take to cut off very much of the top
of the beet before 1t is put into the
process of sugar making, as this top
really contains about as much sugar
as does any other part of the beet.
Problems of the Grasses.
Taking into considr ration the his.
tory Of experiment station work as
related to stock feeding, 1t seems
that the cheapest beef and the cheap
est milk can be made through the
medium of excellent pastures. In
fact, may not the rise, growth and
development of the western states be
largely attributed to the phenomenal
development of the stock interests in
that section which in turn may be
traced TO the excellence Of the graz
ing, which the primeval prairles af-
forded, and which has now been so
ruthlessly destroyed through the
greed and avarice of man? The val
ue of meadows and pastures Is too
clearly established for the question to
admit Of argument. so that the real
problem that comes home to every
farmer to-day is how to obtain the
needed hay and grazing for the mainte-
nance Of his rapidly-increasing focks
and herds. Meadows and pastures of
the most excellent quality can be es-
tablished in the middle south in spite
of the pessimistic view taken by many
farmers and the numerous failures
which are recorded with these crops
In the first place, most of the attempts
to grow grasses and clovers fail be-
cause the problem is gone at from the
wrong end. Not many people realize
what a vital influence the kind and
character Of the soil may have on the
growth and development of these
crops, nor do they understand that
the general need of humus in the soil
accounts for very many of the disas-
trous failures reported. 1t does seem
strange that anyone should believe
that grasses and clovers should all be
equally well adapted to either sandy
or gravelly, loamy or clayey soils. and
that they should give the same re-
suits when seeded Unfortunately on
first or second bottom lands or on poor
uplands.-Andrew M. Soule.
Do Sunar Reets Exhausf the SoiI7