The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-06-30

After inc. 1all oI Lne Roman empire
the bar5aiians carried back 10 Bo
hemia a scrubby little roct The bo
tanical name OF this plant growing
wild IN southern Europe is beta vul
garis. Ii was naturally an annual
plant but when carried north it be
came biennial. This change caused
sugar TO he stored In the root. In
1905 oliver De Serre found sugar In
this plant Fifty years later, Marg
graf extracted the first sugar. and one
of his pupils constructed the first fac
tory, During the Napoleonic wars
when the British deprived France ol
sugar and the price had risen TO one
dollar per pound, Napoleon appropr
nted 100000 towards the sugar In
dustry. and In 1910 sugar was produc
ed at thirty cents per pound A few
men tried to introduce sugar culture
into the United States in 1895. but
failed. DIT McMurtrle WAS sent to
Paris In 1878 to investigate the sugar
beet industry. He made a very elab
crate report which resulted I'm q con.
siderable sum being invested In the
New England states and Delaware
Two or three factories were built. but
failed solely from the agricultural
side. At the same time there was a
factory of eighty tons capacity built
In California; beet culture was sue
cessful and the new industry tbrived
By 1896 IL had passed the experiment
tai stage.
On account of the enlarged tap root
the sugar beet can be raised In the
driest parts OF the country. This
gives an advantage to the western
farmers. The crop being valuable, re-
pays for careful cultivation. The land
must be plowed deeper than for other
crops. Grain crops absorb substance
from the surface of the ground. while
beets send roots as deep as four
feet into the soil. The small roots are
left and help to fertilize the land. Su-
gar beets are usuallY considered In
furious to the ground. but every bot
anist knows that sugar is made in
the leaves from water and carbon
dioxide gas. recurring no nourishment
from the soil whatever, II uses the
lower part of the root for a store
house. II the tops. pulp and molasses
were returned to the land. the soil
would Increase In fertility. The law
OF Germany requires this TO be done,
Some of her farmers have raised
beets on the same ground for twenty
years IN succession and the soil Is
now more fertile than when the first
crop was planted Germany exports
over a million tons of sugar annually
Every ounce OF this was made from
a, a
tons OF Indian corn and wheat and
with IL almost as many tons OF ter
tilted elements. n any ordinary
crop is grown for several years in
succession on a piece of ground. the
land will become yalueless. When a
crop OF beets Is raised and harvested,
1t leaves the ground In excellent con
dltion for any other crops that farm
ers wish 10 grow next year
When factory comes Into a dis
trict. 1t assumes the responsibility OF
agricultural prosperity. Unless the
factory receives = sufficient amount OF
beets of the required quality. IL can
not succeed This forces the factory
to take an active part In the produc'
ton OF beets. In looking 10 the flu
ture of their own welfare they In.
sist on the general advancement Of
scientific agriculture. The ineNper'
fenced growers are not left TO their
own resources IN producing this new
crop The contracts with the farm
ers makes it incumbent on them TO
produce heets In accordance with GER
tain stIpulations, under the direction
OF representative of the factory
The men chosen are experienced ag'
riculturists They have corps Of as
sistants constantly moving about
among the beet growers, seeing that
they use the easiest and most ap
proved methods for producing the best
beets The factory's superintendent
OF agriculture is In constant touch with
the beet growers. advising them with
reference TO all the details Of prepar'
Ing the land, cultvatilg the plants
aud harvesting the crop While their
instruction is given with reference t0
beet culture. they are constantly ad
ylsIng as to the production of all
crops. The advisers representing the
sugar factory fully understand that a
plant costing hundreds of thousands
IS no temporary affair They apDreci
ate the fact that the beet plant will
be cultivated more than one year
While they are striving to bring the
best results from a crop OF beets
planted each year. they are also en-
deavoring To best prepare the land
and the farming community TO serve
the interests which they represent foI
long period OF time. They know
whether or not tract of land should
grow beets more than one year Tney
know II should go into other crops In
q cycle or rotation. eventually TO pro
duce beets again They look forward
to the cultivation of additional land
each year. and for this reason they
must advise IN regards to drainage
rotation. fertilization. the selection OF
the beet seed, and everything tha,
has to do with the success OF every
crop and the progress of the entire
community. The factory knows thai
1t must improve the methods Of tho
agricultural community, 1t appreci
a;es the fact that the longer the fac
tory has been established. the more