The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-12-02
Sugar Beets and Sugar Making are Talked
Over by Citizens.
BENEFITS THAT WILL ACCRUE|
Members Of Committee Tell What They Saw and Learned
While on Tour of Observation
Is Learned.

The matter OF seeding and cultivating
the beets was now entered upon. Mr..
Shaw said that all the grower did was
to prepare the land and SOW the beets
Russians were employed to take care
of the plant after it appeared above
ground. In Colorado these were paid
500 month. For this small sum a
man and his wife and children, if t.ey
had any large enough, did all the
wedding, blocking and the other work
necessary, one family being capable
OF caring for 20-acre field during the
season. Mr.. Shaw explained the
method of cultivation and irfigarlon
Beets should be cultivated three times
and irrigated the same number ot
times Unlike most other p, oducts,
beets should not be irrigated until
late in the season, after they ha =
I; il ed fair growth and strong .oot-
age
Answers Questions.
Many availed themselves of the in.
vitation to ask questions, resulting in
the elicitation of much inpormation
and knowledge that would probably
not have been brought out otherwise.
In answer to one Mr.. Shaw said that
in Colorado the average yield was
from 18 to 19 tons of beets to the acre.
The cost of the Russians for the sea-
son was six and quarter tons OF
beets at SIS ton for each family.
The factory supplied the field men,
whose duty it was to visit the growers
and tell them when to cultivate, when
to irrigate and how to do the work
For this no charges was made, as Il.
was to the interest of the factory to
make possible the growth of the very
last beet that land is capable of pro-
ducing. Five crops were as many as
should be raised in succession from
one field. AS far as soil was con-
cerned it made but little difference,
for one seemed to be about as good
as another. While light soil, of course.
was best, beets would grow equally as
we'll on heavy ground, but the latter
would require more work in preparing
it the first season. The best crop
was usually grown the third season
piece of land was used.
Asked about the matter of seed, Mr..
Shaw said the factory supplied it, 1t
was given out to the farmer in the
spring and receipted for it. Payment
was not asked until when delivery of
the beets was made. If desired, the
company also planted the seed, for
which a charge of so cents an acre
was made, payable the same as the
seed.
Frosts did not injure sugar beets,
said Mr.. Shaw, replying to question
on that subject. Hail also injured
them none, even though the tops were
beaten Off Freezing did not detract
from the value of beets, for the sac
charine matter remained in them and
the factory took frozen beets the same
as those not frozen and made no diff
ference in the price.
AS regards comparison OF condi-
tions here and in Colorado the gen.
tleman said he could see no difference
here was extremely favor
able, with the added advantage of an
OF water, something not
had in Colorado, especially late in the
season, when irrigation was prime
necessity. The soil and climate were
about the same in both places. From
three to three and half months was
the time required for beets to mature
The earlier they were seeded the bet
ter, being in that respect like most
other crops of the farm.
The factory, said Mr.. Shaw, did not
expect the grower to deliver his beets
at it's door. It maintained receiving
stations at convenient points on the
railroad, where beets could be deliv-
cred, the factory paying the freight