The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-03-31

While the German farmer uses pulp
on his land he will never under any
circumstance or condition use green
pulp as he claims it will certainly
breed nematodes, an enemy Of the beet
that has cost European countries many
millions of dollars to wipe out and
which still has a firm foot hold in those
countries. When he uses the pulp at
all, as fertilizer it is in the most ad-
vanced stage of decomposition. The
crop in Germany yields little heavier
than in Michigan. The average yield
for the campaign just closed was 10
tons per acre with the sugar percentage
about the same as in Michigan. They
plow mostly with oxen and run pillow
that turns over two burrows at a time.
Farm lands all through the section
visited by Mr.. Wallace was worth from
$4O0 to 5000 per acre and much OF it had
been under cultivation for $50 years or
more. Farms run from 40 acres up,
but few have the land in a bunch.
Very frequently farmers land will
run in one, two and five acre strips and
be scattered about over a considerable
territory. The farmer is very particu-
lar about his land, and coming into
possession of new piece Immediately
opens up an account with it. He first
analyzes the soil and learns its needs
and then supplies them. Everything that
goes onto the land is charged against
the land and all that comes off Is credit
ed so that for years back one can tell
just what each parcel of land has cost
or given in return.
The beet growing territory of Ger
many contains about as much territory
as lower Michigan, and in that territory
supports 334 sugar factories. The fac
tories are not as great in capacity as
our modern refneries, nor do they use
the product from as many acres per
factory Contracts run about the same,
from one acre up, and the delivery OF
the crop is on the same plan only when
the German farmer has delivered what
his call instructed him to he stops
until he is notified to resume hauling
and does not, as doe. his American
neighbor, keep on hauling until he has
hauled in the whole neighborhood crop.
The German farmer, the man who
owns his farm, is the king Bee in
his country and enjoys social position
above the tradesman, professional man
or shopman. The boys aud. girls do not
leave the farm to seek livelihood in
the cities, but remain on the farm and
enjoy social distintion not reached by
the city dwellers The government
by every method possible aims to stlmu-
late and encourage every branch Of
agriculture, and for meritorious crops,
or breeds, government diploma OF
some other acknowledgment is extend
ed The German farmer is proud of
his farm, and proud of his record as a
farmer, and it is his aim from year to
year to possess a much coveted govern.
ment diploma.
Mr.. Wallace visited all of the big
seed farms about Magdeburg, which is
the sugar beet center of Germany, and
witnessed their methods of testing the
mother beets, threshing the seed, ETC.
He was in Germany for some time visit
ing among the farmers, and in the
small villages, picking up such infor
nation as he felt would be useful tc
him when he got among the big fellows
who knew his mission, and he found
his plan had not miscarried, for he
found the big ones loaded and he still
labors under the impression that the
American who thinks himself some
thing of liar will have the conceit al
taken out of him after the first round
with an able-tongued German. He de
scribes the methods on the big farms az
very interesting and says that they are
very painstaking. He describes tn,
Hoerning farm, the firm with which
our readers are probably more familiar
than with others, as being one of tn,
largest and best visited. 1t is situated
at the base of the Hartz mountains an(
the climate and general conditions ar,
about the same as those in this section
of the state.
Mr.. Wallace purchased sufficient seet
for nine factories and the lot was spill
up among some of the leading firms
and different kinds Of seed purchased
that results may determine as to which
is the best for our conditions Tn,
seed purchased is all fresh seed, bear
ing the government test, and Mr.. Wal
lace is confident that good results will
be obtained
He enjoyed his trip very much, bu
feels that our companies have neglected
a very important duty in not paying
more attention to the agricultural enc
of the business and building up the in
| dustry from its foundation. He il
firmly convinced that we use too littl,
seed and on his own farms and on thos'
of the Sebewaing Sugar company h,
will not SOW less than 90 pounds PEI
acre and on the sitter ground q
pounds So strong Is his conviction
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