The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-10-28
The Beet Sugar Industry.

Hon. James Wilson, secretary OF agri-
culture, took considerable time to look
into the beet sugar industry and in an
interview with the Courier Herald ex
pressed the following views
1.-THE beet sugar question is now up
to the farmer 1t only remains for him
to grow the beets. The beet sugar fac
tories in the valley are first class in
every respect and in advance of the fac
tories of Europe. This being the case
the only question is the production of
the raw staple by the farmers.
PERCENTAGE AND TARE.
There has been and is, L am informed,
some dissatisfaction among the farmers
on the subject of the analysis of /beets
to ascertain their sugar content and the
amount of tare. Many farmers, it is
stated, are under the impression that
the factories are not treating them just
ly in these Fmatters. This naturally
breeds dissatisfaction on the part of the
beet producers and tends to reduce the
acreage.
These matters could be satisfactorily
adjusted by having capable represent
alive of the beet growers present when
the test for sugar percentage and the
cleaning for tare are being performed.
If confidence could be established, a
better feeling would exist and the farm
er would know that he was receiving
the full value Of his beets. Some of the
dissatisfaction regarding tare is, l be-
lieve, the result of bringing in beets not
properly cleaned.
SMALL TAX ON THE SOIL.
The impression prevails in some quar-
tiers that sugar beet culture is great
drain on the fertility of the soil. This
is not correct, as the sugar beet is large
ly an air feeder and it makes light
drafts on the wealth of the soil.
If proper methods are followed the
soil may be maintained in state of con-
slant fertility by restoring to it the
mineral elements in the beet and by TO-
tation of crops.
The mineral salts contained in the
sugar beet are almost wholly in the
crown and the leaves. These should
not be allowed to go to waste, as is the
practice on some farms, but fed or
thrown back on the land to be absorbed
in the soil.
Rotation of crops is also essential. l
would advise crop of sugar beets one
year, to be followed for three years by
grass or clover.
DAIRYING AND BETS.
The value of sugar beets as farm
crop because of the opportunity to use
the by products of the sugar factory in
stock raising and stock feeding does not
receive the general recognition that it
should
Sugar beet pulp is not only a very
valuable stock food, but its feeding on
the farm gives the farmer manure of
much value to the soil.
On this point Secretary Wilson quot
ed the words of Prof. w. A. Henry, di-
rector of the state experimental station
of Wisconsin. Professor Henry, after
careful personal observations in Ger
many regarding sugar beet culture and
its relation to stock growing and the
perpetuation of fertility of the soil, says
growing sugar beets is, in the end, no
more injurious to the soil than the
growing of most of our common crops.
Any crop grown takes fertility from the
soil, but if the beet leaves and the tops
cut off are fed on the farm, also the
culls, and if, finally, the pulp residue is
brought back from the factory and fed
on the farm, then very little fertility,
indeed, is lost. Beet growing is not
one.fifth as hard on the land; under such
conditions, as the growing and selling
of hay or straw, so often practiced by
farmers The beet root take good deal
of water from the soil, and this, per-
haps, shows on the next crop unfavor-
ably. Beets should always be grown in
rotation In Europe the farmers of
Germany, France, Belgium and in other
countries have in some regions grown
beets successfully and proftably for the
last generation. During the last ten
years the business has increased enorm-
ously. The beet growing regions of the
old world have been the most prosper
Gus of any in Europe, and the farmers
have steadily improved their farms.
They keep more stock where beets are
grown in Europe than they kept before
they grew beets. / have visited the
beet growing regions of several of the
old world countries, and know that as
beet farming has increased the country
has grown prosperous and rich, and the
keeping of live stock has increased.
FLAT RATE FOR BETS.
Asked if he favored the payment by
the beet sugar factories of flat rate
per ton for beets. Secretary Wilson
said that he did not favor such a plan,