The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-01-24
The Sugar Beet in North Carolina

10 the EultOr: ApfOpOS OF an article
in Sundays News and Observer, the
following is submitted:
Experiments in sugar-beet culture
have been made in North Carolina
from time to time, beginning in 1877
and extending through 1904. These
experiments have been conducted by
the United States Department of Asri-
culture and by the North Carolina Ag-
riculturaI Experiment Station.
n. c. Station Experiments. 1S77'7s.
In 1877, DIR. Albert E. LedOux, di-
rector of the EXperim ent SatiOn dis
tributed sugar-beet seeds and received
samples of beets grown in ten coun-
ties, viz: Arson, Beaufort. Burke, Ca
barrus Chatham. Duplin, Edgecomb be,
Granville. orange and Wake. The
sample which was best was grown by
w. NJ. Blackwell, in Granville county.
and contained H. As per cent Of sugar.
J. w. Wissler, of Chatham county,
produced a beet with 11.2 per cent OF
sugar and another with 1882 per
cent, and A. M. McPheeters. Of Raj
eigh, Wake county, produced beet
with 1927 per cent Of sugar. Sixteen
other lots contained between 5 and 10
per cent of sugar.
In 1878, Dr. Ledoux received SAM
pies Of heets grown under his direc-
ton in - counties. The beet contain
ing the highest percentage OF sugar
y
in Cumberland county. and the one
with the next highest percentage
10.4D was grown in Wake county.
The other 35 samples ranged from
1:2s to $50 per cent Of sugar.
U. S. Department. Of Agriculture, 1897.
1898, 1899. 1900 and 1904.
These experiments were under the
direction of DR. H. w. Wiley, chemist
Of the department.. In 1897 samples
Of beets were grown in the counties
of Cherokee, Davidson. Mecklenburg.
New Hanover and Rowan counties
The average weight was q; ounces.
containing 81 per cent Of sugar. The
| range in percentage OF sugar was from
6.5 in a Cherokee county beet to 11.9
| in a Mecklenburg county beet.
Tn his report for 1898 are published
analyses Of samples Of beets grown in
| the counties of Ashe, Craven, Halifax
Jones, Rowan Vance and Warren The
| average weight was 10 ounces, con-
famine s.5 per cent of sugar
| In 1899. a sample from Rowan
county was analyzed and found to
contain TO per cent Of sugar A beet
! weighing ounces was sent from Ashe
| county, but was so light that an analy-
! sis was deemed unnecessary.
In 1900, sample grown on the
North Carolina Experiment Farm at
| Raleigh was analyzed and found to
contain So per cent Of sugar.
1904. a sample grown on the Test
| Farm at Statesville Tredell county
| was found to contain $40 per cent of
SUGAR, but weighed only 6.5 ounces,
| which would represent yield of only
| 1 y tons to the acre
| n. G. Station Experiments, 1S9S-1S99.
These experim ents We're conducted
Under the direction Of the writer Of
| this article Samples from 80 coun-
| ties were received and analvZed Seven
counties furnished beets containing
| between IL and IA per cent of sugar,
| viz: Alamance. Davidson, Montgom-
| cry. Rockingham. Stokes. Arson and
Warren. Two other counties viz, Ire
dell and Vance, furnished beets con-
tanning between I and II per cent of
| sugar. No county east Of the line be-
tween Warren and Arson counties
furnished a beet with SO much as II
per cent Of sugar. The counties OF
Caldwell. Haywood and Henderson
furnished beets containing more than
IA per cent of sugar. This is the first
record Of the production Of sugar
heets in North Carolina containing so
murh as IA per cent Of sugar. The
producers were N A. Saxton Of
Kings Creek; A. J. Allen, Of Wavnes-
vile. and G. b. sentelle. OF belmont.
Is North Carolina Adanted to Sugar
Beet Culture?
DR. Wiley. who has made an extern
sive study Of the subject and who is
doubtless the leading authority in
America on the sugar beet, has pre-
| rared report. which was printed nv
resolution of Congress-. in which he
shows that the successful production
Of the sugar beet on commercial
scale IS confined to those regions in
which the mean temperature for the
| months of June. July and An~nst js
between 50 and II degrees Fahren-
heit We may reasonably expect
therefore. that sugar-beet culture can
be successfully introduced in the
counties Of Caldwell. Haywood. Hen
1erson. Ashe, Watauga. Mitchell,
Madison Buncombe, Transylvania.
Jackson Graham and Swain. Three OF
the counties named caldwell. Hay
wood and Henderson )have grown for
the writer beets of satisfactory weight