The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-11-28
HARVESTING SUGAR BETS.
New Industry In The Yellowstone Is Max
ing Good Progress

New Industry In The Yellowstone Is Maxi
ing Good Progress
a correspondent of the Anaconda
Standard writes from Billings that in
all parts OF the Yellow stone valley
where sugar beets were grown, farm.
ers are busily engaged 10 gathering
in the crop, and within the present
week all Of the work of harvesting will
have been completed. The beets should
by right have been all pulled by the
first OF November, but OF account Of
the scarcity Of labor the work was
very much delayed. Nature has, how.
ever, been very kind to the husband
man. for no weather sufficiently cold
to freeze the ground and thereby in
~terfere with the work in hand, has
thus far prevailed in the Yellowstone
valley.
In harvesting the crop a team of
four strong horses, attached to a beet
pillow, or litter, is used. aud this
loosens the beets from the ground, and
the men follow along and take the
roots up, knock the dirt from them
and pitch them into rows. Another
Set OF laborers, among whom are usu-
ally women, follow and with sharp
knives cut the tops from the beets,
which are then piled 10 heaps of abou,
200 pounds each. The work of topping,
which may seem a very easy opera.
ton, is q very impo! tant one. The
top must be cut off square across a.
low as the lowest leaf stem. The
sloping crown Of the beet bearing the
leaf stems contains the greater portion
of the mineral salts in the vegetable
which are of an Objectionable nature
and beets not properly topped must b.
retopped at the factory. In the work
OF cultivation Russians and Japanes,
principally were used, although man,
Americans were found laboring in tn,
fields together with the stolid sons O
the car and the little brown men iron
the Orient. 1t has been found that o,
an average a Russian laborer viii
cultivate successfully about eigh
acres OF beets, while the more activ,
Japanese has 10 acres to his work OF
single season. During the season
just closed, about 1000 acres of tn
crop were grown for the Billings fac
tory. and this acreage will be largel,
increased next year. The bee,s ar,
delivered at the factory by means O
the wagon and by rail. 1t is estimate,
that about 500 acres in the vicinity O
Billings were brought to the factor,
by the former method, and approxi
mately the same number of IONS wa
delivered at each of the fourteen bee
dumps. although at Foster, the larges
dump, q crop of about 800 acres wa
received.
AS many as $50 IONS per day ar
hauled to and unloaded at these re
ce,>iug stations, M owing 10 III
scarcity of cars and the lateness of tn
season, many tons are being dumpe
on the ground. The industry will, i
the opinion of leading citizens, be tn
greatest benefit TO the valley Of an
industry ever introduced, and tn
farmers are greatly elated over tn
outlook. 1t will not, however, be tn
means of decreasing the acreage c
alfalfa, but on the contrary, will b
the means of causing a greater nun
Der OF acres to be seeded to that crot
on account of stimulating the stock
feeditg Industry, which condition
certain to follow the advent of the be-
industry. Beet pulp will also be fe
10 large quantities, and is being pre-
cured by feeders at a cost of ~ cen,
u ton. 1t is a great tl~esh-produceI
and when used in connection with a
falfa, its value as a stock food
greatly enhanced.