The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-03-11
Acreage and Yield of Sugar Boets in
Michigan In 1902.

Acreage and Yield of Sugar Boets in
Michigan In 1902.
The twenty-fifth annual report of
Fred NJ. Warner, secretary of state of
the state of Michigan, relating to farms
and farm products in 1909 and 1908, con-
tains some very interesting tables of
statistics on the acreage and yield of
sugar beets in the state in 1902. The
total sugar beet acreage of Michigan in
1902 is given as SO, 293 acres, which
yielded a tot al of 416, 1886 tons of beets,
or an average of 7.39 tons per acre. A
closer nvestigation of the average yield
in the various county tiers shows the
following results: The total acreage of
sugar beets in the four sou thern tiers of
counties amounted to 12,797 acres,
which produced total of 90, 25S tons of
beets, or an average yield per acre of
7.05 tons. The central counties had 49,
1853 acres in sugar beets, producing a
total of 317,0S5 tons, or an average
yield per acre of 1859 tons. The north
ern counties had 1876 tons in sugar
beets yielding $500 tons, or an average
of 67l tons. The Upper Peninsula
counties had 10 acres in sugar beets,
producing 1853 tons, or an average of 49,
So per acre.
No conclusion can be drawn from
these figures as to the fertility of the
soil in the various parts of the state and
to its adaptability to beet culture. The
high average shown in the Upper Pen
insula cannot be set down off hand to
the better quality of the soil or better
meteorological conditions in that Sec
ton. In the first place, the acreage of
sugar beets in the Upper Peninsula is
too small compared to the other acreages
to form satisfactory basis for COM
parison. In the second place, equally
high averages, and even higher averages,
are found in other counties. 1t seems
rather that the whole state averages
very much the same, and that abnormal
ly high or low averages are due more to
methods of cultivation and care than to
the soil or to climate conditions.
For instance the high average in the
Upper Peninsula was obtained only on
one acre in Alger county which produc-
ed II tons of beets, ten acres in Delta
county which showed an average of 1873
tons per acre, and one acre in Dickin-
son county which produced 10 tons of
of beets. But on the other hand, one
acre in Luce county of the Upper Pen
insula produced only two tons of beets.
At the same time, Ii acres in Clyde,
Allegan county, produced 1871 tons of
beets, an average of 10 tons per acre; Is
acres in Gibson, Bay county, produced
1T tons, an average of 11.5 tons; II
acres in Benton, Eaton county, produced
$40 tons, an average of 1913 tons; and 90
acres in Chase, Lake county, produced
322 tons, an average of 1871 tons per
acre.
Ii we compare smaller acreages, we
find that two acres in Ossineke, Alpena
county, produced 30 tons of beets; one
acre in Forest, Cheboygan county, 90
tons; one acre in Grant, Clare county,
81 tons; one acre in East Bay, Grand
Traverse county, 16 tons; one acre in
Allen, Hillsdale icounty, 10 tons; one
acre in Alamo, Kalamazoo county, Is
tons. On the other hand, even small
fields may show very low average
such as for instance the above named
field in the Upper Peninsula, or one acre
in Harrisville, Altoona county, which
produced only 2 tons; five acres in Blue
Lake, Muskegon county, which produc-
ed only tons; and acres in Ashland,
Newaygo county, which produced only
tons. Such failures cannot be explain.
ed in any other way than by neglect or
abnormal local conditions. 1t also
shows an abnormal condition when we
read that eight acres in Bingham, Lee
lanau county, produced 414 tons Of
beets, an average of 51.75 tons per acre.
If the figures compiled by Mr.. War
ner permit of any general conclusions,
they show that small fields of beets,
well cultivated and cared for, will pro-
duce greater tonnage of beets than
large tracts This is the general con-
sensus of opinion of all agricultural ex-
perts, and the Michigan figures seem to
bear this out once more Still, even on
large tracts good averages may be obtain.
ed with proper care, as shown by 367