The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-12-15
NO. 80

had had total failure. Mr. Smith said
the beet business must go through the
infancy that other crops had, have the
measles, mumps, whooping cough and
learn how to take dry weather and wet
weather. In Ottawa, Saginaw and Bay
counties this childhood had been passed
and beets were regular factor in the
farmers crops. The speaker thought
that no one should attempt to raise
beets who was over four miles from 8
shipping point except where they were
near factory; then miles would be
all right. Senator Cook said that 5
miles was not too far from shipping
point where rate of 40 cents could be
secured. Prof. Smith said the difficult
ty in shipping would be in getting cars,
and an order for cars should be sent in
before beets were pulled. AS to soil,
most any kind would do. He had seen
some of the best beets grown on sandy
soil one year, or rich muck the follow
ing year and on heavy clay the third
year-not on undigested, dressy muck,
of course. The soil is not the question.
but the quantity and the methods. Do
not raise large acreage at first if the
first year failed their the business
would be killed Ground should be
prepared little better than for some
crops; seeding is done about the same;
beets should be planted in rows about
"a or % inches apart; cultivation should
be little more than for corn; harvest
ing took more labor but by the time the
beet is thoroughly established ma
f! chinery will be in use that will do away
with the extra labor Even with extra
labor necessary the crop was most
profitable one; had paid all the mort
cages on farms near Holland, Mich,
except when some young man was buy
ing farm without enough to pay for
it entirely. All farmers should take
back from the factory the pulp, which
was as good feed for amount of.spbd
matter contained as. ,silage; of course
beet pulp is 93 per cent water; when it
can be turned out with only s5 per cent
water it will be as good food as slage;;
and all kinds of stock will eat it, ana IL
is necessary to havesome stock, 4 8
"A: B, Cook said the question oflabor
had been solved by the factory managers
and they furnished laborers at SO much
per acre TO do all the thinning. first and
second hoeing, etc. Y 7ssa
Britton Mattoon gave his experience
He had commenced the study two years
ago and believed the beet crop had come
to stay. He had fitted a two acre piece
for corn; the first planting was failure,
so he planted to fodder. Last spring he
got some beet seed. He then covered
the piece with manure plowed it April
Goth, rolled and dragged it two or three
times and on May "a sowed with grain
drnl, 20 inches apart, the beet seed
would sow earlier next time. At first
he was discouraged and thought moth
ing was going to grow; then it rained
and in week he could see the rows;
got steel frame cultivator and went
over the piece on June nth and again
on June 22nd with teeth little longer
On June 25th he commenced to block
and thin, using four persons on the two
acres; found later that he did not thin
enough, and so pulled out the smaller
beets where.two or three were growing
together and cultivated once more Com
menced harvest on Oct. 18th, using
common plow for lifting the beets and
would do so again Being miles from
the factory and miles from shipping
tory, using four horses and drawing 8
tons to the load-this being the hardest
of the work in connection with the
CROP left at 700 in the morning and
was home at 3 p. m. The crop netted
25 tons, 225 pounds and tested Is. 6 per
cent sugar; tare was 5.3 per cent, MAX
ing the price S5.6S per ton or a total of
$143. 80. The cost had been 800 max
ing profit of $43 36. He had included
in the cost his own work at 81 day
except during harvest time and then
$1.50 per day; had paid SO for seed and
having used the tops and drawn home
pulp he figured these would pay board
while he had worked at $100 or $3.50
per day The entire two acre piece had
proved satisfactory. A sandy knoll in
one corner looked bad, but the beets
were found to have gone down and
were long and good. The experiment
was satisfactory and he would try again
and believed he could make more money
next time, although the profit had been
about 500 per acre. He would raise
corn on the beet patch next year.
P. B. Reynolds asked for an express
sion as to whether those in attendance
favored continuing one.day institutes
and practically all were in favor of
them. The roundup institute for this
county will be held in Owosso, Tuesday
and Wednesday, January and TO- A
feature at this meeting Will be corn
exhibit. Twelve ears constitute an
entry and any farmer can make an en-
49, -, aocb cIaoo Thara ora thraa